


What Kind of Man

by TheBlueBicycle



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff and Angst, Love/Hate, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-09-08 00:01:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8821519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueBicycle/pseuds/TheBlueBicycle
Summary: The first time that Rick talked to Negan the blue eyed teen was beat to shit and laying on the ground.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Warning again for violence that happens in a school setting! Hope you enjoy. Also I give full creds of the title to the Florence and the Machine song- What Kind of Man.

Rick Grimes is a teenager that loves life. 

He wasn't ever particularly mopey, he knew that he was well off in life. He had two parents that loved him, a good group of friends and roof over his head. Sure, he didn't exactly love taking tests at school and sometimes his home life gave him grief but he knew that life was good. That was, until high school. High School was when things took a nose dive. And it was for one reason and one reason only. Negan. 

The first year or two were fine, things were good. But Junior year hit him hard. That was when Negan came to their school. He was the new kid, a senior that looked like he was twenty five instead of eighteen. He loomed over everyone in the halls, his height making him noticeable to anyone in the same room as him. The older boy wore a leather jacket that was well kept and he easily went to the top of the food chain, captain of the baseball team. Rick shared three of his classes with him. Gym, study hall and health class. At first he didn't talk to the boy. After all Negan seemed well off on his own- Though really, he wasn't on his own. He'd attracted a posse of sorts that followed him around wherever he went, like they worshiped the ground that he walked on. One of the guys' names was Dwight, another's name was Simon and the rest were mostly nameless to Rick, just following Negan around like puppy dogs. Well, puppy dogs that tormented whoever bugged them, but still. 

It seemed a bit ridiculous but Rick didn't say anything, especially when he started to feel Negan glancing at him every once in awhile. Negan was the kind of guy that wanted and needed to know everyone and their business, was an obvious leader and seemed to have quite the temper on him though other than that he was just obnoxious and loud with his friends. Rick had no reason to talk to the older boy and so he didn't. They were called 'The Saviors', Negan and his little clan. It sounded a bit stupid to Rick and made him roll his eyes but again, he said nothing mostly because it wasn't his business.

The first time that Rick talked to Negan, the blue eyed teen was beat to shit and laying on the ground. 

It had been a Tuesday. The school building was mostly empty because he'd stayed after for a little while talking to Shane and grabbing a book or two from the library. He remembered absently that he needed to grab his gym bag from the locker rooms and so he went down, hearing whoops and hollers the closer that he got. He realized soon enough that it was because the baseball team had gotten off a little while ago from practice and some were still lingering around. It was the usual locker room talk, girls, how much they hated teachers and what they were going to do when the weekend came. Rick came in, minding his own business as he went to his assigned gym locker. After a few moments, a voice rung out. 

"Hey," Rick didn't turn, not paying attention. "Hey you," The voice was louder this time and Rick turned slightly, looking at the boys who were all staring at him. 

It was Dwight who'd called him, smirking and looking like he was a predator who'd just sensed the perfect prey. Rick's jaw tightened, standing up taller along with squaring his shoulders- Though he doubted it did much in the area of intimidation. "Yeah?" Dwight only cocked his head at the reaction, nodding to the other teen. "You're in my gym class, right?" Rick nodded. 

"I'm Dwight if you didn't already know. Don't think we've really formally met before." The stringy blonde haired boy came closer, assessing Rick. Rick started to feel something in his stomach tighten, telling him that this wasn't a good situation to be in. "You've got a nice bag there." The boy nodded to the bag that Rick had on his back, his book bag. Rick shrugged and said nothing, trying to look impartial to the whole thing all the while running through in his mind every tip Shane had told him in fighting and self defense. 

"It's just.. I really like that bag, and the thing is, I don't have one." 

Rick bristled, "I suggest going to find one, then. I hear Walmart sells them." His voice was dry, trying to keep his cool even though his body turned tense as he realized the only guys left in the locker room were the one's part of Negan's stupid group. The Saviors. 

Dwight gave a slight laugh and a smile, "You're funny. Though I doubt the one's at Walmart have what yours do. Bet your book bag has all your homework in it, hell, maybe even your wallet if I'm lucky." Dwight's smile grew bigger as he watched Rick turn even more tense, eyes looking around quick to catalogue each exit. And that's where it started. 

Dwight tried to take it after one more laugh and Rick refused, even as he was shoved at and the other boys started laughing. Rick wasn't a fighter, not with fists anyways. He would if he had too but he much preferred to talk things out, to be reasonable. The closest thing that he'd done to fighting was wrestling with Shane and usually Shane always won but that was mostly because of the bulk that his friend had on him. Dwight tried to swipe at the bag again and Rick pushed the other teen away from him, sending him stumbling back.

That's when the punches started. Rick managed to get in one or two of his own, feeling a crunch when his fist collided with someone's nose- He hoped to God that it was Dwight's. However in the end there was too many of them, too many surrounding him and grabbing and punching and laughing. Rick hurt, Christ, he hurt. His body was aching and his vision was getting spotty and it was getting harder to breath. Another fist, hit, hit, hit. Another kick and his ears were ringing, throbbing as a foot connected with his head. He wheezed when he fell to the ground, swearing that his ribs has grown too small for him, too constricting and now he couldn't breath. Rick opened his eyes, seeing blurbs of motion. Hearing laughter. Laugh after laugh, kick after kick. Rick brought his hands up to shield his face, grimacing when he felt a wet sensation against them. That couldn't be blood, could it be? One last kick sent Rick curling in on himself, stuttering out breaths and trying to suck in air that always managed to escape him.

Eventually he went slack on the ground, feeling his bag being pulled from his shoulders. Someone distantly said 'Shit, that's enough' in a small, worried voice. Like they knew that they'd gone too far but no sooner footsteps could be heard, scrambling away from the scene.

Rick wasn't sure how long he laid there for, struggling to keep himself awake and breath properly. Eventually, a voice rung out. "Well, shit. You look mother fuckin' pathetic. Christ, Grimes." When Rick opened his eyes he saw familiar stubble and a leather jacket. It was fair to say that it was a pretty one sided conversation.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, hell, what am I supposed to do with you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter! Hope you all enjoy!

"At least they didn't mess up your face."

"Your stomach-- Phew, man. That is one spectrum of color you got there-- Shit,"

"Dwight's a stupid fucker, huh?"

"Probably just working off his anger since I fucked Sherry. What a pussy, right?"

"Well, hell, what am I supposed to do with you?"

\---------------

Rick's fingers were knotted in something soft and familiar. The boy gave a groan as pain came back to him, awareness hitting him like a baseball bat to the head. He wished that he could fall back into unconsciousness where everything was dull and muted. Instead his head was positively throbbing, torso aching. He was prompted to curl up more but he forced himself to open his eyes as his memories came flooding back. Dwight. The others. His book bag. God damn it, his wallet. Negan. 

It didn't take long for Rick to realize where he was. He was in his room, curled up on his bed. In his house. Confusion clouded his mind as he sat straight up, immediately regretting it as he groaned out in pain, one hand flying to press against his head. "How in the hell.. " The teen looked at his surroundings with wariness as if he expected it to change suddenly. The last thing that he remembered was Negan. Immediately he was on the defense, looking for the older boy but he found no evidence of him being in the dimly lit room. Rick's clock read nine o'clock and the sky was dark, telling Rick that it was indeed night time. 

Eventually he got himself to stumble into the bathroom, every movement making his stomach clench painfully. Once inside he flicked on the light, being met by his -- Well, quite frankly, rough looking reflection. There wasn't much damage at all to his face. None, really. If someone was to just see him you wouldn't really know that he'd been in a fight. However one side of his head ached from where one of the boys had kicked him, dried blood coating the tip of his ear. Rick knew where most of the damage was and so he lifted his shirt, wincing at what he saw. Well, color was what he saw. Mostly purple now, dark and ugly, staining against his skin. His ribs looked a red color and he dumbly poked at them, hissing out a 'shit' afterwards. Rick let the shirt fall back into place before unsteadily making his way out of his room and downstairs to where a light was on in the kitchen. 

His mother was there with a cup of coffee that really didn't taste much like coffee. More half coffee and the rest sugar and creamer. She was an older woman, older than most parents for kids his age, as was his father. The woman's eyes lit up, hair pulled back into a bun. "Ricky, you're awake!" 

Rick stared in shock as she came up to hug him, before drawing back, frowning and shaking her head. "Oh, that pesky ear of yours. C'mere, I'll get the blood right off of that." The woman started pulling him towards the sink but he stayed put, blinking. 

"Mom.. How.. How did I get here?" 

The woman looked at him in surprise before realizing that the boy had been indeed passed out when he'd been brought on. "Oh, that's right, I guess you wouldn't remember. That boy, Negan. He brought you in here, told me all about how you fell in the locker room." She frowned, pulling her son towards the sink again. "You really do need to be more careful, sweetheart. You're lucky that your friend was there." 

All Rick could think was, friend? Negan and he were not friends. They weren't. 

"You should have told me about Negan sooner. He's such a nice boy, polite and quite charming. I had him stay for a piece of pie afterwards, he's quite the conversationalist."

The look on Rick's face was comical, mouth dropping open with his eyes wide. 

"Close your mouth dear, you'll catch flies." 

\---------------

Rick doesn't return to school immediately. His mother frets over him, unknowing of the damage beneath his shirt but is able to see the way he gets dizzy when he moves too fast. After an endless argument of 'I'm fine,' and 'No, Ricky, you're not', they settle on giving him to the end of a school day. If he's better then they'll let it go and if he's not then it'll be time to go to the hospital. Rick's father, ever the quiet man, agrees with his wife.

When he returns he's almost instantly bombarded by Shane who reminds him of a watch dog, barking out his demands and saying that Rick has to tell him where he's been and why the tip of his ear is cut up. "Man, where the hell have you been? The fuck is up with this, huh? I heard a lot of shit, please tell me it ain't true. I'll beat that fucker up, I'll beat 'em all up." Rick, ever the mediator, lays a hand on his best friends shoulder, feeling suddenly very compelled to lie. "I feel fine, Shane." 

Shane gives him a glare and Rick breaks with a sigh. "It's nothing, really. Besides, there's no need to beat people up, especially people that could take you if they wanted to I might add."

That gets Shane falling head first into a conversation about his fighting skills and about how he could beat up anyone he wanted because he's just that good. Rick rolls his eyes with a fond smile and he walks with the other teen, looking off to the side of the parking lot as they stroll towards the building. Negan is standing there, leaning up against a beat car that still manages to look pretty cool. A Riviera, maroon colored. Negan's looking at him with a smirk on his face and Rick suddenly stops in his tracks before he's pushed along by the crowd wanting in the school. When he looks back Negan has already walked away.

\---------------

Rick feels like shit. Part of him is glad that he came to school today but the other part of him just wants to go back to bed and curl up and away from all of these bright lights that hurt his head and the constant motion that hurts his stomach. When his first class comes he realizes that all of his school supplies are still very much not here and in Dwight's grasp. He doesn't see Dwight all day. 

Towards the end of the day Rick is frustrated with it all, the questions, the lack of supplies, knowing that he'd lost his wallet, having the constant ache in his torso. He's walking and it's all too much, too much noise, light and people bumping into him fast and the teen sways, stumbling forward a bit and knocking into someone. "Sorry," He breathes out on instinct, feeling a hand wrap around his arm.

"You know, if you wanna talk to me you don't have to fake a concussion, you could always just come up and talk to me." It's Negan, grinning with his devious, dark eyes. 

Rick pulls back with a frown, "I didn't-- " But Negan cuts him off and talks with his ever present cocky tone, "Oh, I'm kidding. Christ, take a joke. I know you aren't faking the concussion, but you obviously have been wanting to talk to me." 

Instead of thanking the other boy for coming to his recue or anything of the sort he feels that irritation bubbling up in his chest again and so he blurts out, "You had pie with my mom," With glaring, confused eyes. The tips of his ears feel warm, pink at his outburst but he ignores it.

That gets a laugh from Negan, big and loud. "That I did and lemme tell ya, that mama of yours is a sweet lady. Maybe I should come over more often, we're friends, right?" It's something in the way he says it that has Rick narrowing his eyes. He can't help but be wary. Negan is the.. Well, he's the leader of the stupid gang that beat Rick up. And he knows said group has been tormenting other people that he knows, picking on Glenn frequently as well. 

Neither of them say anything for a moment or two before Negan sighs, "Fuck, you are shit at keeping a conversation. You just keep staring at me with those pouty, glaring eyes. Cheer up, yeah? And maybe get that fucked up head of yours checked out." Before Rick can say much more Negan claps his hand gently against the shorter boys cheek before walking off with his usual strut, whistling as he goes.

Rick swears that his cheek tingles for nearly an hour afterwards.

\---------------

Later when he goes to leave, he opens his locker to find that there's things stuffed in it. His wallet, for one. His books and binders and lastly, his back pack. There's a note taped to the front of it. 'You're welcome. -N.' Rick wonders to himself how in the hell Negan keeps doing this, how on earth the hoodlum opened his locker even. With a conflicted heart but still feeling as if he should thank the other, Rick went out to the parking lot and walked up to the older boys car. He took out a sticky note and wrote, 'Thanks. -R.' With that he slips it through the crack in the window and it lands gracefully on the seat. Rick leaves before anyone can notice him.

And that night? Well, Rick pointedly ignores thinking about Negan's dark eyes, tall frame and the way his laughter has seemed to cling to Rick, playing like a soundtrack in the back ground of his life. No, of course not. Rick does not think about Negan. No, not in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there ya have it! Really, really hope you liked it. Please leave a comment with some feedback and gimme a kudos if you enjoyed~ Thanks all! :)


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ricky? Dear, you have a visitor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In advance sorry for typos, I didn't have much time to edit this. O.o

After a few doctor appointments it's declared that Rick has a concussion. Not a very serious one, the doctor says. Mild but something to keep an eye on. When they ask how it happened Rick falls back on Negan's poor lie of having fell in the locker room. The doctor gives him a second glance but dismisses the excuse in the end when a nod of his head.

Rest.  
Stay in low lighting.  
Keep socializing to a minimum.  
Stay away from loud noises. 

Those are the things that the doc advises him to do along with giving him some pain medication for when the migraine in his head becomes to much. 

\---------------

Rick finds himself trapped in his room for days. Bed rest, he's told, is important. So, he stays. He has conversations with Shane on the phone each day, his friend always eager to tell him about his new conquest in school or the new gossip but Rick can tell the underlying concern there. And then one day, their conversation becomes even more alarming. 

"What the fuck man, why didn't you tell me you and Negan were friends?" 

Rick frowns to himself, holding the phone away from his ear at his friends loud voice. "Heck, Shane. Calm down, I have no idea what you're talking about." 

"Mhm. Likely story, Grimes." 

That gets an exasperated sigh from the curly headed teen, "Would you just tell me what's wrong? Negan and I aren't-- " Then his voice cuts off. Because are they? Negan was on the one who found him, brought his things back to him. That doesn't make him a friend however, not when he's still the biggest dick bag in school that has a habit of picking on Rick's friends. 

"Look, Negan came up to me. He walked up to me in the parking lot, man. And lemme tell you what, this fucker-- " There's a laugh that sounds strained, crazed. "He comes up to me and demands to know where you are. Like he's your friend or some shit. Tries to intimidate me, get in my face and all that but you know me, I can take him-- " 

Rick rolls his eyes at that, cutting his friend off. "Shane, back to the story." 

"Oh yeah, right. Well, he said you two were friends and so I told him." 

All color seems to leave Rick's face, "You told him? Told him what?" 

"That you're at your house and you're gonna be there for a few more days with the concussion and whatnot."

"Shane, why on earth did you tell him that?" 

"He said you two were friends! What was I supposed to do, huh? I didn't know that you were all buddy buddy with the baseball teams captain." 

Rick thumps his forehead into his hand, groaning when a sharp pain shoots through his scull. "No- We're not--Fine.. Just, it's alright. Caught me off guard is all." 

Then, a long pause followed by a worried voice. "Are you two friends?" 

"No, Shane. We're not." 

Definitely not, Rick repeats to himself when he hangs up the phone a few minutes later. Besides, what does it matter if Negan knows where he is? It's not like he's going to show up, Rick assured himself.

\---------------

In the end that's exactly what Negan does.

Rick is sleeping when it happens. "Ricky? Dear, you have a visitor." 

Rick doesn't really register this until his door is pushed open and dear God, Negan is standing in his doorway that seems to barely fit his tall frame, his mother in the back with a wide smile. "Here, go on now. I'll let you two have some alone time and I'll be downstairs if you're hungry." 

Then his mother is gone and Rick is frozen again, staring at the grinning teen as well as becoming very aware that he's only wearing boxers and t-shirt and that his mother just called him Ricky in front of a person who isn't Shane. "Well, are you gonna invite me in? Gonna invite me to sit down somewhere?" Rick swallows, suddenly feeling very nervous as he looks at the other teen but he nods his head and motions for Negan to come into his room further while he pushes himself up into a sitting position, wincing at the strain in his ribs. Negan walks in further with a self satisfied look on his face, shutting the door with a soft click before sitting at the end of Rick's bed. He's still wearing that damned leather jacket of his with a white t-shirt underneath along with jeans and worn boots. Rick doesn't say or do much other than stare at Negan for a moment or two, confusion clouding him again. 

Negan eventually gets tired of the silence, rolling his eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll start. I guess you're wondering why I came to visit you." Negan's grin turns wider. "It's because I got your love note." He waved around a piece of paper that he'd got from his pocket and Rick can just barely see the writing. 'Thanks. -R' All of a sudden Rick gets a flood of embarrassment going through him, cheeks turning pink with shame and irritation while the other part of him wants to flop down onto the bed again because Negan kept his note. Rick tells himself to stop acting like a preteen girl and sets his jaw, shaking his head. 

"Why are you really here?" 

"I missed you, geez. I haven't had a lot of people glaring at me lately-- Okay, that's a lie but none of them glare at me quite like you do." The boy winks and Rick stares at him with wide eyes, ignoring the butterfly feeling in his stomach at that. "C'mon, nothing? You've got nothing to say? Jesus. Alright, I'll start again." An almost innocent expression of curiosity comes across Negan's face. Or, it would be innocent except Rick knows Negan too well to call him that. "How about you explain to me why you hate me so much?" 

Rick frowns to himself, looking down at his sheets that are pooled around his waist. "I never said that I hated you," He corrected. 

"Good fuckin' thing too, since I've been sticking my damn neck out for you." Negan is loud and boisterous and Rick can't help but wince. 

"Ya know, my doctor told me to stay away from loud noises for awhile." He gives the boy a pointed look at which Negan huffs and gives an exaggerated frown. "You're a goody two shoes, Grimes. You don't always have to listen to what your doctor says." Though there's something in his gaze.. Something that looks strangely like concern but whatever it was Negan covers it up just as quick. 

Rick only shrugs, "I want to get back to school. And again, I don't hate you. I just don't make it a habit of becoming friends with people who torment me and my other friends." 

That gets a dangerous glint in Negan's eyes, glaring. "And since when have a tormented you, huh?" Rick runs his fingers through his hair, trying not to think about how this is the longest conversation that they've ever had. 

"Okay, maybe not you specifically but your friends, the one's that follow you around." 

Negan waves the words of with a dismissive movement of his hand, "That's ridiculous. What my boys do is just messing around with people." 

Rick feels angry again, "What they do isn't messing around and you're no better, I've seen the things-- " 

Negan lets out a loud groan, "Whatever, okay. I get it. I'm an ass, story over. It's not like you've got the best of friends either. That one.. Walsh, man does he act like a rabid dog or what?" Negan gives a laugh. 

"Shane isn't like that, Shane is just-- " 

"You dating him?" 

That gets Rick staring at him in what he can only describe as horror and confusion. "What? Am I dating Shane? Why- No, I'm not dating Shane. That's- Christ, do you even know Shane? He's as straight as it gets. We're friends." 

Negan looks amused by this all, smiling at Rick. "Really close friends," He adds in with a vulgar expression and a slight thrust of his hips. Rick pulls a face, feeling his cheeks go hot and he opens his mouth to explain but Negan cuts him off. "Don't worry, I'm just yanking your chain. It's funny seeing you get all worked up, all pink cheeked and shit." 

With that Negan stands up with a heavy sigh, walking over to his door. "Now, because I'm a gentleman, I'll leave you alone to rest. But don't worry, I'll see ya around." Rick pulls a look that's mixed with horror yet again along with confusion and concern. Negan gives a laugh at that, "Yeah, that's right. I'm gonna be damn hard to get rid of. And ya know what? I think you're gonna start liking me soon." 

Rick flops back into his bed as soon as Negan is gone, closing his eyes and thinking to himself, 'What in the hell have I gotten myself into?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, happy holidays! Here is my present to you. I hope you enjoyed it, leave a kudos or a comment letting me know what you thought. Thank you all so much for the support! :)


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negan's grinning and Shane is glowering and Rick wonders to himself, when did this become his life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahead of time, sorry for any typos. Enjoy!

Calm before the storm. 

Those words plagued Rick for the next week of bed rest. His days were perfectly calm. Shane called him, Glenn texted him and that was that. He was allowed to rest and all was well. The strange thing was that Negan didn't show up once. Rick tried to stay impartial to the whole thing but he couldn't ignore the little niggling feeling of disappointment that he didn't allow himself to linger on. The metaphorical storm presumably came when he got back to school. And Christ, Negan certainly was a storm.

\---------------

Gym, study hall and health class. Those were the classes that he had with Negan. 

The teen walked through the doors on the Monday and he looked around almost suspiciously, like the taller boy would pop out any moment and say 'boo' and look at him with that stupid, smug face of his. Except, he didn't. And Rick was okay with that. Rick did the usual and went through the motions, nodding to the teachers with a smile and telling them that yes, he was all better and collecting heavy piles of work that made him wince whenever he spared the stacks a glance. The day was a bit of a haze, tons of work and information crammed into his mind in one day. 

And then, there was health class.

Rick sat in the middle of the room at one of the desks, surrounded by others though he didn't look around too much and that was that. They were half way through a lesson about sex and why you needed to wait till marriage before doing it when a piece of paper hit his back. He frowned to himself, glancing at the paper beside his desk. It was crumpled up and he glanced around to see Negan, sitting a few desks back and one to the side. Negan gave him a charming smile to which Rick sighed and turned back around in his desk. 

For the rest of that lesson four more pieces of paper hit Rick. He ignored them all, priding himself in his willpower and trying to pay attention to the different STD's that he may one day contract before one hit him particularly hard in the head. 

Rick let out a rough sigh, twisting around in his seat to snap something out at the other teen before a voice rung out. "Mr. Grimes, kindly turn back around in your seat. I will not ask again," Negan slapped a hand over his mouth to keep in his laughter while Rick slowly turned back around in his desk, fuming with pink cheeks. 

\---------------

Lunch came right after and Rick took out his paper bag lunch and glanced untrustingly around the room as he sat down at his usual table with Shane. Shane gave a snort, "The hell is up with you? You look pastier than normal." Rick gave a glare at his much tanner, much more muscular friend but the two dissolved into easy grins a second later. 

"Oh, and here he is. The ladies man, everybody. Glenn Rhee," Shane cackles through a bite of chocolate pudding as a pink cheeked Glenn sits down next to Shane. "Am not," Their friend mutters. 

Rick cocks a brow with an amused look, "Why're we calling him the ladies man again?" 

Glenn looks over to Shane with a pleading look in his eyes but Shane just smirks and plows through, "You see here, while you were gone Glenn got a girl- " 

"I did not!" 

"Shut up, let me tell the story! Anyways, Glenn was walking back to our table with his lunch, not looking where he was going at all- Which kind'a confuses me, he's the smartest kid who sits here but he can't figure out how to fuckin' look where he's going-- " 

"Shane!" 

"Sorry, back to it. Glenn was walking back here and he ran into Maggie Greene. Spilled his lunch all over that girl, milk and everything. I guess stuttering and frightened eyes are her thing cause she ended up giving him her number." 

Rick's laughing by now but in a kind way, looking to his friend. He's about to congratulate him when a different voice cuts in. "What's so funny?" 

They all three turn their heads to look at who's standing at the head of their table. 

Negan drums his finger tips casually against the table, walking over and taking a seat by Rick. Glenn has slightly frightened eyes that concern Rick and Shane's glaring. "Oh c'mon, you didn't have to stop telling the story. Lemme in on it, what's so funny?" Rick opens his mouth as he stares, trying to find something to say as Negan plucks a chip or two from his lunch. 

"Why in the hell are you sitting here?" Shane snipes. Negan laughs like it's all good fun but there's something darker flickering under his eyes. Rick kicks Shane's shin from under the table, giving him a look that clearly says 'shut up.' Shane pulls the most offended look of his life like Rick just stabbed him in the back. 

"I told you, Ricky and I are friends." And with that Negan slings an arm around Rick's shoulders. Shane tenses and Glenn nearly gives a squeak. Rick just looks at Negan, mildly horrified and trying very hard not to think about how the weight on his shoulders is almost comforting and how the scent of the other boy is something that he nearly likes. "Aw, Ricky, don't look so scared." 

Rick's face flames up because his mom is the only one who's allowed to call him that. "Don't call me that," He grits out but let's the arm rest where it lays. 

"Go back to your girlfriend and your little gang of miscreants," Shane says again. Rick tries very hard not to think about the word 'girlfriend.'

Negan laughs, "Funny, I usually call you and the football team that." 

"Oh yeah, that's real funny. You're a class act." 

"I don't get why you're so pissed. Haven't gotten laid in awhile? That right arm of yours is looking a bit more muscular than usual." 

Shane doesn't skip a beat in his reply, "I'd rather have my right hand than getting in a pussy that Dwight's already fucked." 

That's where Rick cuts in, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "You are both ridiculous, cut it out. Both of you." 

Negan's grinning and Shane is glowering and Rick wonders to himself, when did this become his life? 

\---------------

Later that day Rick sticks with Daryl in gym class- A boy who reminds him of an alley cat but they both have each other's back when they need it. When they're changing in the locker rooms Negan stares at him. Not a stare of lust but of muted anger from seeing the splashes of color that are still painted to Rick's torso. Faded, but there. 

When the school day is done the curly headed teen can't get those angry eyes off his mind and the scent of leather, spice and smoke off his clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support you've given me. Every comment brightens my day and every kudos makes me happy. Thank you all so much, comment letting me know what you thought about the chapter! :)


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Come to my baseball game."

Rick doesn't think that he's ever been touched so much in his life. 

The one thing about Negan is that he doesn't understand personal space. He has no concept of it at all, either that or he does and just doesn't care. Either of the explanations makes sense. Negan slings an arm around Rick some days while he goes up to bother him and others he claps hands on Rick's shoulders. Or he ruffles Rick's hair- That one really gets him, really makes his cheeks flush pink with anger and slight embarrassment, saying "Damn it, Negan. Cut it out," The hissed out words never seem to bother Negan. If anything they just spur him on. He seems to still be on his 'Bug Rick until he likes me' kick, though the curly headed teen refused to fall into it. 

Shane and Glenn don't like Negan in the slightest. Glenn's reasons stem from the fact that he'd once gotten pushed into and shoved inside of a locker by a few of Negan's friends and therefore doesn't like Negan or the group. Shane's reasons are a bit more.. Well, Rick wants to call them petty but he doesn't have the heart to. Shane had always been a possessive person. Possessive of his current girlfriend that will last for approximately a week, of his friends, even his toys when they'd been little. The boy has the mentality of 'Rick is my friend. Not yours,' and Rick's not exactly sure how to keep his sanity through all of this. 

Thankfully Negan had stopped showing up at their lunch table which was really for the best but Negan still shoves himself in the middle of things when he can. However Rick can't help himself from glancing over at Negan's table every once in awhile. More times than not Negan catches his eye and gives him a wink or a grin. Rick tries awful hard not to think about that and more than that, he tries hard not to think about the way Negan looks sitting beside Sherry. 

\---------------

"Grimes!" Rick's ready to leave school, he's at his locker and everything. Negan's strolling up to him, giving him a lazy smile. "I've got a proposition for you." Rick cocked a brow but said nothing more, focusing on not dropping his books in front of the older boy while putting them into his book bag. 

"Come to my baseball game."

"Why would I do that?" 

"Cause you like me and I'll make it worth your while." 

That gets an exasperated sigh, "You're full of yourself." 

"Yeah, maybe but I'm also right. Plus, you owe me. I saved you, remember? I saved you and all you've given me back is sad eyes and fucking scowls." 

Rick shakes his head, "I already said thank you. You're the one that's insisted on sticking around." 

Negan rolls his eyes, "Are you coming or not?" He's leaned against the lockers, frame tall and a bit looming. 

Rick's lips pressed into a line, "I have homework." 

"Bullshit. See you at the game," And then Negan's walking off, whistling a tune as he goes. 

"I said I'm not-- " 

"See you at the game!" 

\---------------

Rick finds himself becoming more accustomed with self hatred as he shows up to the baseball game. He goes up to sit in the wooden stands and looks around. There's mostly just parents here and a few people from school, friends or girlfriends of the players. One of them is Sherry. He doesn't allow himself to look for long and focuses on the game. 

Negan's up to bat next, already has a bat in his gloved hands and a helmet on his head. It's odd seeing him out of his usual clothes and instead in a jersey and baseball pants that Rick refuses to let himself linger on. 

Rick runs a hand through his hair, feeling terribly out of place, especially so as a pair of eyes land on him. To his surprise it's not Negan who's looking at him. It's Sherry. The girl is staring at him with something similar to curiosity and hesitance. She almost reminds him of a cat. A feline that's assessing her choices, not sure whether she wants to engage or not. 

Rick looks away and watches as the current batter swings and misses, causing him an extra strike. 

It doesn't take long for Sherry to seek him out. She sits herself right beside him and Rick swallows, tilting his head in acknowledgment. "You're here for Negan." Those are her starting words. They aren't bitter or meanly said, just a statement that showcases that same hesitant curiosity. 

The batter swings again and gets a single, running off safely towards first base. 

Rick gave a sigh, looking down at the cracked and splintered wood under his feet and thinks on the words for a moment or two and answers in partial honesty. "I don't know what I'm here for." Sherry seems to accept the answer well enough and her eyes look off to somewhere else that Rick's gaze soon follows. One of the players has gotten out of the dug out. He's not playing, just going towards the concessions stands perhaps. He has a jersey on but he looks too injured to be playing. 

Negan's up to bat now and gives a few practice swings. 

The injured looking player has blonde stringy hair, long enough to partially cover his bruised face. Rick recognizes him as Dwight. 

Negan takes a swing. "Strike!" The umpire yells and Rick can see from here the way Negan's face turns mean, teeth gritting in frustration, mouth forming around muttered curse words. 

Rick can't look away from Dwight until a moment or two later. Dwight from the locker rooms, Dwight who started this all. Rick tenses beside Sherry and she must seem to notice. He gives a questioning look to her but he's not sure if his question is coming through. What had happened to Dwight? Now that Rick really thinks about it he can't remember seeing Dwight around very much. Sherry holds his gaze for a good long moment before looking back to Negan in an answer. Rick swallows roughly at the implication behind the look that he clearly understands. 

Negan hits the ball and it goes, goes and goes until it's over the fence and out of the field. The players go wild as Negan rounds the bases in a homerun. Rick claps along with the crowd, a bitter taste left in his mouth from the unspoken conversation. 

\---------------

Rick's not sure why but he finds himself waiting for Negan. He asks himself multiple times what he's doing here but the answer never comes. He's uncomfortable being around the team. He can recognize some of their faces from the locker room incident but it they seem to recognize him they don't show it. He sits and sits some more, Sherry having left almost immediately after the game ended. And Rick waits. There's parents and other students still littering the area, just chatting idly and waiting for their sons or friends to get back from the locker rooms and so Rick assumes that's where Negan is as well. 

Eventually Negan comes out. He seems to have forgotten something in the dug out and walks over, wearing a pair of jeans a red t-shirt for a change, skin and hair glistening in either water or sweat. Rick hops down from the bleachers and tucks his hands into his pockets, kicking absently at the dirt with his cowboy boy boot. 

"Grimes?" It's Negan. Of course it's Negan. It's always Negan. And that's what you wanted, a voice inside his mind whispered. Negan's grinning but it seems a bit more genuine than usual, a bit more caught off guard. "Knew you'd be here. Knew you'd come. You like me too much to miss something like this." Though there's something that tells Rick that Negan hadn't. The way that he says it, it seems like Negan had just more.. Hoped, that Rick would come. 

Rick shrugged his shoulders, "Finished my homework." He looks down at the ground and kicks his shoe against the dirt again, a small cloud of dirt forming as he does so. "Was one heck of a homer that you hit," He comments when he looks back up. 

The older boy looks surprised as if he didn't expect Rick to know what a home run even was, "Didn't take you for being the sports type." 

"My dad is. Converted me from a young age, making me watch all these games with him." It seems to halt the conversation and Negan looks at him in consideration, staring for a moment in a way that makes Rick want to squirm. 

"How about you and me go out for a ride or something. We can talk about baseball, or hell, we don't even have to talk if you don't wanna. Promised you I was gonna make it worth your while, didn't I?" And Christ, Negan's grinning again at the almost suggestive comment that get's Rick's cheeks flushing, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes that speaks exactly what Negan might want to do if they weren't talking. He hesitates and the taller teen jumps in again. "C'mon, Ricky. Don't be such a stick in the mud. You're coming with me. Don't worry, I'll have ya home before midnight." And with that Negan's hand is on Rick's shoulder and steering him towards the parking lot. 

Rick wonders how the night will go and more so than that, he wonders how he'll ask about Dwight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya be, the regular weekly update. Hope this chapter was okay, had a little trouble cranking it out so it might not be the best but I hope it's A-Okay. Again, thank you all for all of the kind words that you've given me and the kudos. It means so much, so drop a comment letting me know what ya thought, thanks all! :))


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are so flirting with me."

The car ride is oddly quiet considering he's sitting in a confined space with Negan. Rick almost expected him to gloat about his big win or more about how Rick had came to watch him but none of that happens. Instead Negan drives his maroon colored Riviera in comfortable silence, one hand on the wheel and the other stretched across the seats, nearly touching Rick's shoulder. The windows are down and the sun is still up in the sky but not nearly as bright as it once had been. He realizes five minutes into the ride that he had no idea where they're going. What the hell am I doing, Rick wonders to himself but never once tells the older boy to take him home. Instead, they just ride. Negan keeps glancing over at him every once in awhile, never for long but Rick catches him every time. 

Finally, when the car was slowing to a stop on some road a little bit outside of town Negan spoke up. "Saw you sitting with Sherry today." There's something in the way that he says it that makes Rick looks over. They're practically completely stopped on the road but it doesn't matter much. It's an old one, one that's more dirt and rocks than road and it's unlikely that anyone's going to be on it. Negan nearly looks tense, shoulders a bit more drawn instead of relaxed with a calculating look in his eyes, like he wants to know if Rick had somehow found out his biggest secret. 

"She came over to talk to me for a little bit," Rick shrugged his shoulders. 

"You guys talked," Negan says in a plain, disbelieving tone. Rick nods and feels the want to tell Negan to keep driving, to get them back out in the open instead of on some abandoned back road but he keeps quiet. Negan pulls the car a little bit to the side of the road and kills the engine. There's only trees and farmers fields in sight now with a slight house off in the distance.

"You just cut the engine and we're in the middle of no where. Are you planning on murdering me?" Rick asked in a dry tone that finally got a grin and a matching chuckle out of the older teen. "Not quite, haven't made it worth your while yet." 

"And how are you gonna do that?" The younger asks in a nearly daring way, looking towards him. Negan looks almost shocked but smiles even wider if it's possible. 

"Richard Grimes, are you flirting with me?" 

Instantly he's blushing and looking away with a grumble of, "My name isn't Richard." 

"You are so flirting with me." 

"I am not." 

"Are too." 

"Am not," Rick glares. 

"And there you go again with those pouty, glaring eyes. You're killing me, Grimes." Rick can only let out a shaky breath and run his fingers through his hair. The talk of flirting, the way that Negan gets him messed up so quickly, it all runs through his head. He doesn't know why he blurts out his next words. It's not the right time, he doesn't know when the right time will be but it comes out anyways in a blurted out statement. 

"You beat up Dwight." 

And then they're both staring at each other. The silence stretches on for several minutes before Negan rubs over his stubble and opens his mouth. "Well, Rick. I assume that has something to do with your little conversation with Sherry, am I right?" After a moment or two Rick nodded. "I most definitely beat that fucker up." His tone is unapologetic and Rick can only give an exasperated sigh. 

"Why did you beat him up?"

Negan hummed to himself like he was thinking very hard before shrugging his shoulders, "He touched you." Rick parted his lips in confusion and surprise at the answer, the words getting him more flustered than he likes. "Yes, but -- Negan, that doesn't make any sense. Why are you doing this? Why are you doing all of this? The asking me to go to your games, the throwing arms around my shoulders, beating people up for me, getting my book bag back for me. It doesn't make any sense, you don't even know me." He feels flushed with anger and as always, confusion.

Negan only gives a slight laugh and shakes his head, "You're as dense as a rock, Grimes." Rick decides that he doesn't have anything at all to say to that and so Negan cranks his car up again and drives them back into town. 

\---------------

The conversation and overall atmosphere turns a bit lighter when Negan rolls up to a fast food drive through. 

"What do you want?" 

The younger shrugs, "I'm fine, don't get me anything." 

Negan only rolls his eyes with a sigh and orders two milkshakes, one with extra whip cream, he asks. Rick gets the one with extra whip cream and the other teen just smirks at him and says nothing, parking the car in the lot. The two sit like that and Rick actually does like his milkshake. Negan gloats that he was right and it's just like old times again. The words 'old times' make Rick want to huff because really, they haven't known each other for awfully that long. Negan is then leaning down and darting his tongue in to scoop out whip cream, moaning at the taste. It makes his cheeks redden and before he knows what's happening a hand is reaching over and scooping out the cherry from his milkshake. "Hey," Rick frowns. 

"What? You were avoiding it, if you're not eating it I am." Rick tried to snatch his cherry back but that leads them into a small little battle of shoving and pushing and they're both grinning at each other, both laughing and for awhile Rick forgets. He forgets that he's supposed to hold Negan at an arms length and he forgets because this feels good. Being together feels good. Eventually Rick's laughing enough that his ribs hurt and Negan's popping the cherry into his mouth to end the battle. However the older teens gaze has turned a bit darker, gleaming with that danger he'd seen in the locker room. 

"That still hurt?" He asks. Rick frowns, not understanding until Negan clarifies, "Your ribs. Do they hurt?" 

Things fall quiet for a moment and the younger one shrugs, "Not as much as they used too. It's not all too bad, they'll be healed up soon." 

Negan shakes his head, "That's not what I asked. I want a yes or a no. Do they hurt?" 

Rick sighs heavily, "Yes. But they won't once I get home to my medication." Silence follows and Negan doesn't say much more as he drives out of the lot and off to Rick's home. 

\---------------

The sky is dark now and the ride had stayed silent except for the music rolling through the speakers and the sound of the car on pavement and the swooshing of the wind since the windows were open. It doesn't take long for them to get to his home, five minutes at most. Negan parks the car and they sit there for another moment. Things feel tense. Negan looks tense. His mind's gone to a different place it seems and Rick finds himself caring about the other teen, wanting to get out another grin or laugh before he left. "Thanks for the-- Uh, the milkshake." Rick cleared his throat but spoke with sincerity. Negan gave a nod and said nothing else. 

With a sigh Rick opened the door but halted, turning back. "And hey, Negan?" The boy looks at him. "Don't go beating up anymore people," His speaks it with an almost smile to his lips. 

"No promises," It's spoke with a small smile but it's enough to make Rick feel better. 

Rick's fingers dance on the car handle and he bites his lip, trying to bite another question down but it doesn't work. "You and Sherry are you two.. " Negan smiles and doesn't answer, shaking his head with a heavy sigh like Rick's a little kid that's asking about something that he couldn't begin to comprehend. Then, the older boy slips a hand over to cup Rick's jaw and brings the younger closer. Rick's eyes are wide and he's staring at Negan in shock until their lips meet and Rick melts, eyes falling shut as his lips tingle with the sensation. 

It's a small kiss, and Negan eventually pulls away just a fraction. "Sherry and me.. That's something, we were something, but that's not you and me." Negan pulls away, a satisfied look on his face and Rick tries so damn hard to process what had just happened as he stiffly gets out of the car and shuts the door, watching the car zoom off. 

When Rick get's into his home there's no one in sight and he's thankful for that because he doesn't want anyone to see the hesitant but large smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry that the update ended up being like a day later than usual but I'll try to get another chapter out by the end of the week. Hope you liked it, drop a comment letting me know what ya thought or give a kudos if you liked it. Thanks! :)


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The fuck are you staring at?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, angst ahead!

After the kiss not all that much changes. Not as much as he expected, anyways. It's been days since that night in Negan's car, nearly a week now and things haven't changed. 

Well, except for the fact that Negan kisses him once a day at the very least. What they have is still the same. Negan still dislikes Rick's friends, Rick still dislikes Negan's friends, Negan bothers and pokes at Rick all that he can and Rick glares and that's that. That's life now. However little things have changed. Things that leave him confused and unsure and wanting. It's usually after school when they kiss or after Negan's games that Rick still stops by the watch. Not all of them, but some. It's never in the open. It's always in the darkness of an abandoned classroom or in the safety of one of their cars. The kiss and sometimes they do more, more than chaste kissing. Sometimes it's Negan burrowing his face in Rick's neck and sucking a mark there, sliding his hands up his shirt but that's all. It's odd. They don't talk about it, Negan acts like it's the most normal thing in the world and when one day Rick goes to leave without a kiss just to see what'll happen the older teen drags him back in place with a frown and a, "Whoa, doll face, you forgetting something?" 

It makes him soft. He can feel the hatred inside of him melting away and instead it's replaced by something else. The fact that he doesn't hate Negan makes him angry. It makes him angry that the other kisses him every day and then he just leaves without another word, ignoring the pink cheeked and swollen lipped Rick. It's just not fair, Rick thinks to himself a tad bit petulantly. The curly headed teen finds himself huffing up at his ceilings several nights when he can't get Negan off his mind, when he can't forget the feel of arms around his waist or lips on his jaw. 

Tiredness always gets to him in the end and he falls asleep thinking of leather jackets and maroon colored cars.

\--------------- 

Words still ring in his head, the ones regarding Negan's and Sherry's relationship. He tries not to dwell on it, he really does. Except.. That never works out well. Especially when Negan walks into the school one morning with an angry, irritated look on his face. Negan is walking over to Sherry in the hall and she's looking at him with a calculating gaze, trying to decipher what the boy might do. Rick tries not to stare as Negan slings an arm around the girl in an intimate way. And he sure as hell doesn't acknowledge the hurt in his heart. Over the week Negan hadn't done anything with Sherry, nothing more than a polite conversation- Or, as polite as conversations could get with Negan.

Shane is beside him and his friend nudges their shoulders together, wondering why his best friend suddenly looks like a kicked puppy. "Nothing, it's nothing." Rick rushes to explain, except he can't look away from the pair. 

Negan's dipping his head down and his lips are nearly brushing against Sherry's ear as he whispers something. Sherry looks annoyed more than anything but her gaze eventually lands on Rick and it turns a bit more sympathetic, a silent 'sorry' in her eyes. Negan eventually follows the gaze and looks at Rick. For a split second there's regret in his eyes but then the irritation is back, glaring Rick down and he can only think to himself, what happened? What was wrong? Had he done something? 

His thoughts are cut short by Negan practically baring his teeth, "The fuck are you staring at?" 

Rick swallows in shock, unsure of how to respond, especially to a person who had kissed him just yesterday with impossibly tender hands that had smoothed up his sides. Beside him Shane is turning tense, clearly seeing a difference between real anger and the mock anger and teasing that Rick and Negan always display. "Yeah, you. Grimes, the fuck are you staring at?" Rick doesn't have an answer. Negan looks down at the girl that he has his arm around and back to Rick, a manic glee coming to his face. 

"Oh, this?" A laugh sounds and Sherry is glaring at Negan, whispering something to him in a fierce way that Rick has never seen before. 

"Well, you see, Rick. This is Sherry. You two have met, right? I like Sherry. We have a great God damn relationship. And you seem to have a problem with that," Another laugh. "Christ, what did you think was gonna happen, huh? What? Did you think I was gonna hold your hand and escort you to class? Carry your book bag for you and sit with you at lunch? God- You are pathetic, Grimes." 

Shane looks about ready to spring and Rick only shakes his head, face flushed with shame and embarrassment. "Shane," He murmured, soft but firm. "Let's go." 

Rick ignores the crowd that's been watching in the hall and Shane reluctantly follows, spouting off questions about what in the hell Negan was talking about. Rick just walks, walks on and on, gaze turning blurry but he refuses to go down that road. Instead he tried to collect his thoughts. That had just happened, he'd been publicly outed and shamed in front of a hall way of people. "I'm fine, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom-- I'll be back in class soon, I swear." 

Shane doesn't want to leave, has his hands in his hair and is shaking his head. "No! You gotta explain this shit to me. You tell me what happened, Rick- God damn you, you tell me now. The fuck was that about?" 

Rick turns and lets himself fall into bitterness and anger, "It was nothing! It was nothing so just get out of here! You're missing class, go. Tell the teacher I'm in the bathroom, I'll be back." 

Shane hesitates but eventually sighs, "You owe me one hell of an explanation after this day is over with, Rick." And then, he's gone. 

Rick goes to the bathroom and stands in front of the sinks. He splashes his face with water and then runs his hands through his hair. It doesn't matter, he tells himself. It doesn't. He won't give into the feeling in his chest, the hand that's squeezing around his heart. After a few minutes he scoops up his book bag and goes off to his first period class.

\---------------

Throughout the day people stare. Not everyone, but the people who'd seen the incident, people who'd heard from their friends. Word travels fast in a small school like this. Negan stares, too. Rick refuses to acknowledge that as well, won't look over to the teen. He doesn't want to think about how much it hurts, about how he'd let it happen, that he shouldn't have been surprised. At lunch he doesn't talk much, not until Shane finally breaks the silence. In the end the two friends go off to a secluded corner of the lunchroom, leaving Glenn with Maggie. He tells Shane everything. The visit to his house, the baseball games he's been going to, the milkshakes, the kissing. Shane takes it surprisingly well and Rick gives an unsteady smile to his best friend, though it was sincere and filled with relief. 

"Was wondering why you never got laid. Don't matter much to me. I like to fuck woman, you like to fuck guys. Tail is tail. Go get some tail," His friend finishes before sending off a murderous glare towards the table where Negan is sitting at. Sherry isn't there. "Not that guy, though. I don't care if you like dick but, brother, he brings a whole new meaning to the word dick."

Rick laughs and smiles though it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

\---------------

Negan spends the rest of the day staring at Rick. Again, Rick refuses to look back but he can feel the heavy gaze. Instead he bides his time with his friends or goes about his school work quietly and pretending not to notice the ache in his chest. Most of his friends prod so he's thankful when gym rolls around. Daryl is unconcerned with the day to day drama. Doesn't care about the bullshit love aspect of life. Or at least he'd heard something similar to that line stumble from the Dixon's mouth. He's thankful for the easy friendship and quiet comradery as they toss a basketball back and forth on the squeaky floor of the gym. Negan's across the gym with Simon doing the same thing and Rick's body tightens up every time he can hear the other boy talking in that loud voice of his. 

While Negan continues to stare he never once approaches him and Rick is fine with that. That's what he tells himself, anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo... Yeah. Sorry! I promise things will get better in the next chapter, I swear! Thanks everyone for the comments and kudos, it's appreciated! :) Negans angsty and mean ways will be explained, I promise!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's it. You're going out with me tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, bullying and language! Angst ahead!

It doesn't take long for things to blow up. It's two days after the incident in the hallway and Rick still hasn't said one word to Negan. He distracts himself with schoolwork and spending time with his friends or family. He lets himself focus on Shane's pointless stories and watches as Glenn moons over Maggie. 

Life goes on. That's what he tells himself. He tries not to think about how he's been outed to the whole school- He knows it now that word has spread, it's not a big school after all. People stare at him in the hallway. The stares vary from curiousity to disgust. Negan stares too but he doesn't let himself think about the other boy. Not now, not ever, Rick sticks with. Some people have taken to openly ogling at him like he's some animal in a zoo exhibit that they haven't seen before, which is.. Well, most likely true. A small town in Georgia was still a small town in Georgia, no matter what time period they were in, especially when there's teenagers involved. People hide their comments and glances when he's with Shane for the most part because Shane is well known throughout the school for two things. One, his track record with the amount of girls- And a few teachers that he's slept with along with being on the football team. That title still carries some weight and so people don't bother him much when he's with his friends. For the most part things go back to normal and it's almost like Negan wasn't ever in his life at all. He sees the other boy in their shared classes but that's it. The older one no longer hangs off Sherry and Sherry seems to have taken back her place at Dwight's side. It's confusing but Rick doesn't question it. 

\---------------

It's gym class when things finally break. Daryl isn't there today. The Dixon was prone to missing school and showing up with bruises littering his skin. It worries him and he's even tried talking to the other teen about it a few times but Daryl never budges, he either gives a casual excuse or turns into a creature alike a rabid animal that hisses out words to get you to stop caring, to stop questioning. Rick feels a bit alone without his friend nearby, especially in a class where Negan is but he goes alone silently, walking into a locker room that feels more like walking into the depths of hell than anything else. 

The period thankfully passes uneventfully. They run laps. That's that. 

Rick is stuck in his own mind when he goes back into the locker room. He goes over to his assigned locker and opens it, taking out his clothes to change into. At first he doesn't notice it. How practically all of the other boys have paused to look. He goes about taking his clothes off and then he feels it. The tension. He glances up at the eerily quiet locker room. The boys aren't changing. They're all staring at him. Even Negan, though his expression is a bit more regretful than the others. An uneasy feeling fills Rick, thinking back to the other incident in this room. The one with Dwight. It won't repeat itself, Rick tells himself. He feels incredibly weak and vulnerable standing there in just his boxers but he lifts his chin defiantly and meets one of the boys' gaze. Ed is his name. Ed scoffs from where he's sat on the bench from one side of the locker room before standing up and brushes past Rick, making their shoulders knock together hard enough for Rick to be pushed against the locker. 

Rick winces but says nothing, he holds his ground. Even when he hears the words, "Ain't changing in front of no fag." Negan looks positively murderous at this point, staring after Ed before looking towards Rick but he does nothing. After all they're both still caught in their ways. They weren't talking, they wouldn't talk. 

The boy tries to ignore the shame and humiliation burning inside and he quickly changes before getting out of the locker room. Once he leaves the noise comes back and he can hear lockers being opened and shut, boys resuming in their idle chatter.

\---------------

It's what tips Rick over the edge. He hates this all. He hates Negan. He hates himself. He hates how he let Negan in, how he allowed for such things to happen. He wonders throughout the rest of the time if Negan really ever liked him or not, or if he was just doing it all to throw it back in his face. Either thought pains him to think about. Rick brushes off Shane's concerns as he's grabbing his book bag at the end of the day. Rick only scoops up his book bag and leaves after a rushed goodbye. When he makes it to the parking lot he thinks that he's almost free. That things might be okay again. That he'll go home and he'll have a nice time at his home. 

All until a voice rings out. "Grimes!" It's Negan. It's always Negan. 

Rick keeps walking. 

"Wait up, Rick!" 

Rick finally reaches his car and he goes to open his door when the other teens hand slams down on the door handle. "Look, we need to-- " 

"We don't need to do anything." Rick hisses out, jaw clenched. 

"Quit this, I know I was an ass but you haven't even let me explain." 

"Explain what? How you outed me in the front of the whole school?" He lets out a shaky breath, feeling as if he's on the edge of a cliff. "Let go of the handle, Negan." His voice is quiet, dangerously so. He hasn't felt this on edge in years. 

"No." 

"Negan." 

"No, Rick." 

"Let go of the handle!" Rick yells it and he doesn't care if people are looking, he just wants to go home. That's all he wants, he wants to leave this place so badly that he nearly whimpers. 

Negan stares at him, shocked into silence. "Shit, Grimes." His hand slowly slips away and instead finds purchase on Rick's arm. Suddenly, Rick is a fire of emotions. He pushes the taller framed teen away with a hard shove, staring at him with betrayed and hurt eyes. 

"Go." Rick doesn't wait for an answer and instead gets into his car and speeds off.

\---------------

"You're being mopey."

"No I'm not."

"You are, man. Hardly said anything to me after school, rushed out like your back end was on fire. What gives?" Shane voice is lightly distorted over the phone but Rick can read the concern clearly in it. 

"Nothing, Shane. I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't stick around, okay?"

Then, silence. Right when he's about to say his goodbyes and hang up Shane chimes again with words. "That's it. You're going out with me tonight."

"What? No-"

"Yes."

"You have a good excuse?"

Rick halts on that before lifting his nose in the air, "Yes. I'm studying," He adds a little 'hmph' to the end.

"You are not studying tonight. Don't fight with me, Ricky. I swear to all that is good and holy I will drag your sorry ass right outta that house if I gotta. Be ready by nine, I'll be there then to pick you up." Before he can get another word of protest out Shane hangs up on him.

\---------------

"You have got to get over this prick." Shane's leading him up the pathway and into some house. The yard is littered with people around, mingling and drinking. The house is in the country and surrounded by woods. It's doubtful that cops will get called. 

"I'm over it. Not sure other people are." He glances pointedly at a few of the people who have recognized him as 'the gay kid' and stare. He knows that in a week or two people will forget and be over it but right now he's the talk of the school. He's the juicy gossip piece in a place where nothing exciting ever happens. 

Shane scowls hard at the implications and mutters, "Fuck them," Before ushering Rick inside of the home. "You just gotta get some alcohol in ya. Relax, go talk with Maggie and Glenn or something. Or even better, go get with someone." Rick looks over with surprise, blinking at his friend. "You heard what I said. Maybe some fucking would do you good. Or just making out- Lord knows you're as pure as a flower." 

Rick glares at his friend, cheeks heating. "Shut up. I am not, I just don't see the point in- " 

"-In having sex with someone that you don't truly care about and won't ever be with again," Shane recites with a roll of his eyes, obviously having heard the reasoning before. "I'm just saying, think about it. I'm sure there's a few guys here that swing that way. Fucking someone might do you good, or.. Well, I don't know if you're the one that does the sticking or if you're on the botto-" Shane scowls, and wrinkles his nose. "Never mind, I don't wanna know which one ya are. All I'm saying is try to have some fun, yeah?" His friends hand claps down on his shoulder and Rick feels mildly mortified at their conversation and only nods.

\---------------

It only takes one girl to bat her lashes at Shane to get his friend distracted and walking away. He can't blame Shane and is more amused than anything else. For the most part he sticks with the people that he knows. Glenn, Maggie, Carol, even little Beth is here. Though he supposes that she's not all too little anymore. Maybe a freshman or a sophomore. Either way he doesn't dwell on it. 

Rick isn't one to get drunk, not usually. He's only done it once before and it ended in an embarrassing story that he'd rather not think about and had left him wary of alcohol. But tonight he finds himself seeking out alcohol. He grabs a bottle even though he doesn't know what it contains and pours it in his cup. The teen walks out of the house and into the grass. Most everyone has split into their couplings for the night. Shane and the nameless blonde. Maggie and Glenn. Carol and Beth were on the couch talking politely with one another the last he saw. So, he sits in the grass. Rick stares out onto the land that eventually fades into trees, the cup sitting in the grass between his legs untouched. 

The sound of the grass rustling makes him look up. It's Sherry. Rick sighs and stares forward as the girl comes to sit next to him in the grass. They sit like that in silence for a moment or two before she swallows carefully and nods to a pack of cigarettes that she has. "Do you mind if I.. " 

Rick shakes his head, "Go ahead." 

The girl does, inhaling smoke with practice. "I'm really sorry." It comes as a whisper from her lips that trail smoke. 

"You don't have to say that." 

"But I am." He goes to open his mouth but she cuts him off again with a stronger, "I am." Rick doesn't say anything, only frowns at his cup and lets her continue. "What he did to you. What he said, what he caused. That wasn't right." Her voice is so sincere and her fingers are twitching around her cigarette. "I never thought he'd do something like that. Especially to you." Rick only shrugs. "He has his reasons. I'm not saying that what he did was right or justified, I'm only saying that he has them." 

He makes his voice hard, "I'm not interested in knowing them." 

Rick glances over when she doesn't say anything right away to see that she's smiling at him sadly, blinking. "Of course you do, honey. It's written all over your face." 

The boy swallows roughly, "It doesn't change anything." 

"You're wrong, Rick. It changes everything. I.. I know." She nods her head, "I know how it is to care about him. To let him close enough to destroy you and eventually he does. Negan's not a bad person but he's capable of bad things." She runs a hand through her hair and takes another inhale of his cigarette. 

"But." She smiles, "When he loves someone.. Now, that's something else." She gives Rick a bigger smile and lets her one hand come down, squeezing around his. 

Rick has a million questions. He wants to know how she knows him this intimately, how this all falls together but he doesn't ask any of it. It's not the right time. Instead he smiles back and gives her hand a squeeze as well. 

\---------------

When Sherry departs and leaves him alone in the grass he finally takes a drink from his cup. It's something with spice, something that warms him to his core. Not the hot kind of spice but something else entirely, nearly like a citrus apple cider flavor. It reminds him of the way Negan smells. Like spice and smoke. It reminds him of the way Negan made him feel so warm inside, how the lips on his neck made him tingle and the teeth scraping across his skin stung. The boy sits there for the rest of the night and stares up at the stars with blurry eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so supportive, it really means a lot to me. Hope you liked this chapter even if it was real sad for poor Rick but lemme know what ya thought. Thanks again! :))


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You never had me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, more teenage angst. *Shrugs*

It's a Sunday and Rick's parents need food. That's what they tell him. They send him off with a few bucks in his hand and shoo him towards the store to buy some last minutes ingredients at the local market and Rick, just like the dutiful son that he is, goes. He strolls through the isles and eventually stops when he gets to the meat department. The boy looks over all of the labels, trying to understand the differences between the different types. 'Strip steak.' 'Cubed steak.' 'T-Bone.' 

"Jesus Christ," He mutters to himself, making a conscious effort not to have a mental break down over meat and produce. He's about to call his mother when it happens. 

"You know, glaring at it like that isn't gonna help anything." 

Rick stiffens all at once and his head shoots up to stare at Negan. He wants to be angry and say that there's no possible way that this could be happening but then again.. This really is a small town. Only two food grocery places, a handful of places to eat, three mechanic places and that's about it. So really it wasn't all that uncommon for Negan to be showing up at the same place as him. Rick tells himself that silence is the best option to go and so he ignores the older boy and goes back to glaring down at the different packaged meat.

"Really, this again? The silent thing?" Rick goes to grab for something and Negan suddenly steps forward, grabbing the item and putting it back with the other meat. 

"Don't get that, it's shit." 

With a glare Rick picks it back up, knowing fully well that the meat probably is shit and it's certainly not what his parents told him to get but in spite of the other he grabs for it and puts it in his cart. He's about to wheel away when Negan then steps in front of the cart and puts his hands on it, stopping Rick. "Nu-uh, you're staying. C'mon, it's been awhile. Gimme something, Ricky. Anything." 

Rick stiffened again, feeling hurt pool in his stomach. "Don't. You don't get to call me that." 

That got Negan to stay quiet for a moment or two. "Look.. I know what I did was shitty. It was worse than shitty, I know it's done a lot of shit to you- I do, just. I had you, ya know? And I fucked it up- " 

Rick cuts him off. "You never had me." The words feel like a lie even to himself but he sticks to them anyways and pulls the cart from Negan's grasp, moving off and away. 

When he gets home his parents sigh at him since he did indeed get the wrong meat but he can't find it in himself to care.

\---------------

Negan doesn't show up at school on Monday. He doesn't come on Tuesday either. Then, it's Wednesday and there's still no sight of him. Rick tells himself that he doesn't care. That Negan could drop off the face of the earth and he still wouldn't care. He can't help himself however when he looks around the lunch room, waiting to see if he's there. He does the same thing in all his other classes that they'd shared, glancing towards Negan's seat every once in awhile as if he'd find him there. He hates himself for caring. For letting this happen. 

Thankfully things have slowed. Not so many people stare at him anymore, the attention has shifted onto the next gossip topic. Of course there are still those that gives him dirty looks, and Ed still makes his comments during gym class but life is okay. He can deal with that. He refused to let names and looks affect him. Not in public, at least. In the privacy of his room he fades. However he doesn't let himself cry. 

During lunch that day he glances over. Sherry and Dwight are sitting together, his arm around her shoulders, stringy blonde hair in his face. He's glad that they don't make eye contact and he quickly looks away. Shane is there sitting in front of him at their table, looking at him with a frown. "Never asked you what happened at that party, ya know." Rick shrugs and takes another sip of his water. "Man, don't just shrug. What happened? Anything? I took you there to go and make out with someone. To fuck out your frustration. And okay, I get it that you probably didn't do that but still." 

Rick rolls his eyes but smiles, "My night wasn't eventful. Really I should be asking you about yours." 

That gets Shane's eyes to light up, "Can't kiss and tell on this one, Grimes. That girl would strangle me. Crazy ass girl, I'm telling ya. Completely nuts, but she's.. " Shane shrugs. 

Rick looks at him with a hint of surprise on his face. "Shane.. Do you like this girl?" 

That gets Shane to pull a face, "Hell, I didn't say that. I don't do gushy heart shit, you know that. Shut the hell up." Rick can only grin and steal a fry off of Shane's plate that has his friend swearing up a storm and throwing a tantrum while Glenn- Who's been sitting beside them but not participating in the conversation much since he's been texting a sick Maggie, looks amused. 

When they leave lunch he gets up and walks towards his next class, Shane and Glenn splitting off. 

"Where's Negan?" He turns with a frown, looking over towards Sherry. He tenses and looks for Dwight but is thankful to see him at the end of the crowd with Simon. 

He looks forward again, "How should I know?" 

Sherry sighs, shaking her head. "I just thought you would, is all." The words make him frustrated but Rick knows he shouldn't take his emotions out on Sherry and so instead he speaks calmly. "You're his friend. Shouldn't you know where he is?" 

Sherry bites on his bottom lip and nods her head. "Yeah. I should know." The girl looks about as worried as he feels.

\----------

Negan comes back to school with a boom in true Negan style. He starts a fight. Or maybe he doesn't. Either way word spreads like wild fire as it always does. Ed and Negan got in a fight. That's the only thing he got from the wild stories that ranged from Ed sitting on Negan to Negan nearly biting off Ed's finger. Ridiculous, he thinks to himself. He doesn't see the fight but he does see Negan exiting the office. He's got blood on his white t-shirt. A lot of it. He's got a piece of paper towel wadded up in his hand and pressed to his face, trying to stop what he can only assume is blood. 

Rick could leave. He knows that. Negan hasn't seen or noticed him yet. He could walk away and cut off things further between them but.. He's reminded of that first day when they officially met. Rick had been on the ground and bleeding and Negan had been the one to help. And now here they were, the positions reversed. 

Rick stays rooted in the hall way, very aware that if Negan glances over he'll be able to see him. It happens in a few moments and Negan looks, hardened gaze turning to shock. They stand there for a few moments just staring at each other. Then, Negan starts walking towards him. All the way until there's only a foot of space between them. "You're bleeding," Rick murmurs. 

Negan snorts, "Yeah, I'm fucking aware of that. Great observation." There's something about the way he's holding himself. He looks defensive and his words bite more than usual. Rick narrows his eyes back, starting to think that this was a bad idea. He backs up a step or two before the older boy fists a hand in his shirt. "You're coming with me." 

Rick frowns and tries to pull away only for the grip to tighten. "Negan, let go of me." 

Negan huffs, "No. I'm not. You're coming with me. You and me are ditching today and we're doing it now." 

Rick digs his heels into the ground, "We could get into trouble for this." 

A bitter laugh sounds, "I'm already in trouble. It'll be a miracle if I graduate, that's what the counselor says." Negan smiles but it's different, it's dangerous. "Fuck this, fuck them. You're coming with me and we're working this out. Got shit to say and you're gonna listen." 

Rick knows that he could get out of the grip if he wanted. He could yell for a teacher and put an end to this. But he doesn't. Negan isn't dangerous. Not to him, anyways. The abrasive words and dominating personality don't scare him anymore. The only thing that scares him is falling back under, getting swooped up by the charm of Negan only for it to bite him in the ass later. 

I'm going to make a stupid decision, Rick thinks to himself as Negan's grip eventually loosens and then falls away all together before he turns in the other direction. Negan walks and Rick follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there ya have it. I promise that the next chapter will have much more meat and plot in it. Just felt like I had to give it a slight build up chapter. Hope that you liked it, thank you all again for the kind comments. Leave a comment or a kudo telling me what ya think :))
> 
> Oh, also. Typos. Sorry if there's a lot.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Out," Negan growls.

It's easy, sneaking out of the building. Probably easier than it should be but security has never been one of the top priorities in a small school like theirs. So, they walk out. They walk out to the cars and that's where Rick finds himself back in Negan's maroon colored Riviera. 

The silence is tense, nothing like the silence that the pair had found themselves in the last time they were together in this car. Negan's still bleeding, a sluggish flow from his brow and Rick can't help but wince, "Negan-" 

"No!" Negan snaps, not looking away from the road. 

Rick learns his lesson and doesn't speak further from that point on, just stares out the window as Negan drives. He doesn't know how long it is until the car stops. 

"Out," Negan growls. 

For a moment Rick thinks that maybe Negan will just drive off as soon as he's out of the car but he relaxes once he spots the keys being taken out of the ignition. Rick gets out of the car and looks at where they are, realizing that he recognizes the place. Negan's taken him here before. The night that he kissed me, Rick realizes with a rough swallow. His shoes walk over the abandoned road, eyes looking out towards the woods while Negan trails behind him a little, eyes solely on him. Eventually Rick stops. He turns, a stubborn clench in his jaw. "You brought me out here. What now?" Negan's never been like this around him. Never so biting, never so intentionally hurtful- Except for that day at school, he corrects himself. 

"Told you, I got shit to say." 

There's a field to one side of them, and a forest to the others side while they stand on the dirt road separating the two. Rick finds himself wanting to push, sick and tired of his own feelings. "Then say it." His voice is hard. 

Negan looks at him, mild shock showing in his gaze. "And just who in the hell made you the king of everything, huh?" 

"Who made you?" 

"Ooh, good one." 

"I thought you brought me here to talk. Not to have me as the punchline to your next joke again." 

Negan glares, "You aren't being fair, you never even gave me the chance to explain about that- " 

"Explain what? What you did spoke for itself, you don't-- You don't care, you-- " Rick gets frustrated, part of him wanting to go to Negan and beg for an explanation while the other part of him is just angry and ashamed in himself. With that Rick turns, making his way back to the car but Negan is faster. Negan lurches forward and grabs his wrist, tugging him closer. 

"Oh no, no ya don't. Now that I've finally got your attention? I told you, you're listening to what I have to say." Negan is looming over him now, taller by an obvious amount and staring down at Rick while Rick just stares right back up at him, meeting the intense gaze. "You're the fuckin' worst, Grimes," He starts. "You're really the worst, you know that? You fucked me up good. Fucked me up in a way that I haven't been fucked up in a long, long time." A bitter laugh sounds from Negan, eyes wild. "Do you think I wanted this? Fuck no. I wasn't planning on-- God forbid I say it-- Catching feelings. I didn't want that, didn't want you. You were fun to fuck around with and you looked just so damn pathetic on that locker room floor that I had to do something." Negan's mouth twists in a grin, not one that signifies happiness. "Do you see what it's ended me up in? You fucked /everything/ up." 

The older one finally lets go of Rick's wrist and turns away, shoulders looking so tense. He's silent for nearly a minute before speaking again. "I.. I'm nineteen, Rick." 

Rick furrows his brow because one, that's an odd thing to say and two, that's not the usual age of high school seniors. Negan looks out into the woods, eyes a cloudy mess of emotions. Rick wants so badly to reach out, to comfort but he cuts those thoughts short. "At my old school I failed a grade cause of some shit that happened." Negan rubs a hand through his hair. "Should have graduated last year. Probably would've been better for you, would've saved you from a lot of my bullshit." Negan gives a small laugh and smile to himself but it fades away over the course of several moments. 

"That weekend, before the incident with you and Sherry.. I was having a rough time." Negan kicks at a pebble. "Was stupid, real stupid. Took it out on both of you. Mainly you, just dragged her into it to get some kind of reaction out of you. To hurt you." Rick frowns, trying to piece all of the odd bits and ends of information together and he opens his mouth to ask but Negan plows through and continues to talk. 

"At my old school I had a girl." His eyes scan the trees and the ends of his lips curl up, "Her name was Lucille." Negan continues to face away from him. "Lucille and I.. Hell, we were together for awhile. From the beginning of high school, one of those things, ya know? Knew I shouldn't have gotten attached, high school shit doesn't last after all, right?" A grimace comes to his face. 

"It doesn't. She was a fucking teenager and she was diagnosed with cancer." 

Rick turns pale. 

"Isn't that just a kick to the balls, right?" The teen shrugs, like he's trying to play it off as no big deal. "The anniversary of her death was that weekend. Thought about a lot of stuff, about you and me. About how it felt like maybe I was.. Was cheating on her. Cheating on my dead girlfriend," Negan laughs. "Shit, I sound insane. I don't /really/ believe that but you were.. You were my something, remember?" Negan turns now, looking at Rick. "You were my something. You were the first real something, the first something that I really, really wanted. And I thought that if maybe I showed you how much of an ass I was then you wouldn't wanna see me anymore." Negan stepped closer. "Turns out you didn't wanna see me anymore but it didn't work out that great. Not when I still wanted to see you." 

Negan's closer now and a hand comes up, hovering for a moment before clasping Rick's hip. "You still are my something. You were lying in the grocery store. Fuck, that hurt. Should've known you had a mouth on you but to say something like that? Ricky, you wounded me." Negan smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes and eventually fades away completely. 

And then, the boy speaks as soft as Rick thinks he's ever heard before. "Rick.. I'm sorry, I'm so damn sorry. I didn't think it'd cause so much... So much shit, ya know? I'm sorry and I want to fix this." Negan squeezes at Rick's hip. "No, I take that back. You're gonna let me fix this, isn't that right?" Negan grins and Rick is still speechless. "Rick," Negan murmurs, bringing a hand up to the younger boys face. "Let me fix this." 

Rick barely gets out a nod before Negan's pressing their lips together with such urgency he would swear their lives depended on that once kiss.

Negan makes it clear that this kiss isn't going to be chaste nor is it anywhere near over, not when he's sucking on Rick's bottom lip until the younger whimpers. It elicits a groan from the other and Negan backs them up into a tree, continuing the kiss, taking control of it and deepening it the way that he likes, licking into Rick's mouth. Eventually Negan pulls away only to start kissing at the other's neck as he presses his hips forward, two hands on Rick's hip while Rick's hands are both buried deep in Negan's hair. Rick's eyes blow wide at that, feeling a hard length pressing against his own. Four layers, he thinks to himself. Two pairs of jeans and two pairs of underwear is what separates us. "W-- Wait," Rick fumbles out. 

The boy pulls away slightly, grinning. "Too fast, sweetheart?" 

Rick scrunches his nose in his stubbornness as his cheeks warm, "Don't call me that." 

"You got it, doll face."

"Negan," Rick says it again, with purpose this time and the teen sighs, looking at him. "This doesn't solve everything," Rick speaks quietly. 

Negan nods his head, "I know it doesn't.. But, it's a start, right?"

Rick gives a smile, "Yeah. It's a start."

\---------------

Then end up back in the Riviera, cramped in the back seat. They sit close, thighs pressed together and sharing an occasional kiss. They talk quietly about Negan's old school and his past life for a little while. They talk about Lucille for a little while as well and Negan says that it still hurts like hell to think about her but he's done his time grieving and he's done with watching life pass him by but eventually they got lost in one another again. Rick is still doubtful of whatever this is that they have. He still doesn't know what'll happen when they return to school. Will Negan just return to the way he was? Will this be their secret all over again? Will it explode even bigger than the last time? Rick doesn't want to think about that, doesn't want to push anymore. Not when Negan's smiling and speaking so genuinely with him in the back of the car, not when he's sharing such intimate information. Time will tell, Rick thinks to himself with a small tinge of worry that's threatening to get much, much larger. Before Negan can ask him what's wrong, Rick's phone beeps. He frowns and pulls it out, looking at the message that popped up. 

'Shane: Where the hell are you and why aren't you at school?' 

Before Rick can type out a very logical, sophisticated response, Negan snatches up the phone. "Hey!" Rick huffs, trying to snatch it back. Negan only grins and types back a response to Shane and tosses the phone into the front seat. Rick tries to reach for it but the other stops him.

"Hey, hey. Don't worry about it. Would I ever do something bad?" The older one smirks and Rick gapes, "Of course you would!"

"Just gonna have to trust me. Let's enjoy this a bit longer before we have to get back to the real world, yeah?" Eventually Rick nods and gives in to the other teen.

The rest of the time they have together before he's taken home is filled with uncharacteristically soft kisses and promises from Negan that Rick really doesn't want to take to heart incase this blows up again but his foolish heart has other plans and takes Negan's tender words and clasps them tight, takes them as law.

Rick doesn't get to think on it much more when they get to his house, not when the older boy is kissing him goodbye and dropping him off at his home, releasing a small groan as he parts from Rick, grinning at the other and giving a wave to Rick's mother who is standing the window with her arms crossed.

"Bye Ricky." 

Despite being called 'Ricky' and his mother looking at him very sternly through the window, he smiles on his walk up to the house. For the first time in nearly a week he feels hopeful.

\---------------

'Rick: Leave me alone, Shane. I'm about to get laid.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed Negan's explanation and the reuniting of the boys- Of course the happy ending isn't here yet, there will be one or two more hurdles till this story is up but hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) Also, check out this link. It's fanart of Rick and Negan in a high school AU setting along with one of the actual scenes from this story which is beyond cool! Thanks laundy, you did amazing! :)  
> http://laundy.tumblr.com/post/156851580234/doodling-high-school-au-neganrick-turned-into
> 
> Leave a comment letting me know what you thought, thanks!!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Aah gross."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Fluff and underage kissing ahead

Life changes after their time in the woods. 

\---------------

The next day is a Friday and Shane has ignored him all of Thursday night or at least all of the texts that he'd sent his friend after their conversation. Of course he'd been happy for Rick at the text, happy for his virginal friend that was finally getting some only to find out that it had been a joke and the joke had come from Negan's hands. 

"That fucker's just gonna mess you up, man." 

"We worked things out," Rick had sighed over the phone. 

"Worked things out, the fuck does that even mean? How does a person work out shit like that? This is Negan we're talking 'bout. The one who's always acting like a dick, the one who's a piece of shit to everyone- Including Glenn who's one of your best friends!"

"Shane- Just let it go, okay? I'll fix it, the things with Glenn. I'll fix it." Rick feels the urge to defend Negan, and while he's not sure where it came from he sticks with it. After all Shane doesn't know about Lucille. Shane will never know about Lucille.

A loud huff could be heard from Shane's side of the line. "Whatever, man. Don't come crying to me when he stomps all over the itty bitty pieces of your heart. I'll only be saying I told ya so." And then the line had gone dead.

That very phone call is why Rick was surprised when Shane showed up to stand next to him at the start of school, milling about in the cafeteria before the teachers let the students flood the hall. Shane comes right up to him, looking both parts frustrated and sheepish. 

Rick cocked a brow, "You're talking to me now?" 

Shane only glared but it softened, "Was never not talking to you. Just think you're making a dumbass decision."

The curly haired one gives the other boy a pointed look, "Oh, c'mon. Like you're one to talk about relationships?" 

The comment got Shane to throw his hands up with a huff, ignoring the intent of the comment. "Christ, you're calling it a relationship?" The teen makes a disgusted noise and the scowl on his face only intensifies when he spots something behind Rick.

Rick really should have known. He turns to see Negan. His brow is still slightly split from the day before but he's looking better now, sauntering up with his usual confidence, a grin on his face. Rick can only stare, lightly shocked because.. Well, he wasn't sure how things would go when they got back to school. Had told himself not to get his hopes up in case Negan decided to go back on his word, he had built his walls up but here's Negan.. Just walking up to him like it's a regular morning occurrence. Rick especially isn't ready for it when Negan dips down and plants a kiss right on his lips. Rick's eyes go wide and pulls himself back, staring at Negan. 

"Negan-- " 

Shane has pulled a face, having seen the whole thing. "Aah, gross." He exclaims before stomping off to talk with some of his football buddies. 

Not many people have noticed them. Only a few are glancing, mostly with confused looks on their faces and Rick can't blame them. Not when he's just as confused. Negan frowns but it isn't real, "What? Are you not happy to see me?" 

"I didn't say that, I just.. I didn't expect me to come right up and .. " For some reason Rick can't get the words out. 

"Kiss you? Well, get ready for a whole lot more, baby." 

Rick keeps staring at him like he's an extraterrestrial being but lets it go. "You keep going like that and we're gonna get in trouble for PDA by one of the teachers," He lightly grumbled to which the other boy only laughed.

"Rick, I've only got a couple of months left of school. Humor me on this, let me do what I want."

\---------------

Rick finally puts a stop to the whole thing when Negan decides to hold his hand and walk him to class. He'd been confused at first but then it all dawned on him. Negan was doing everything that he'd told Rick he wouldn't that day out in the hallway, everything that he'd humiliated Rick for possibly thinking and here he was.. Holding Rick's hand, trying to hold his stuff, walking him to class. 

"You don't have to do this." People are staring at them but Rick feels stronger now. He's learned not to pay attention to the stares.

"Do what?"

"You know what, Negan."

"What, I can't show my affection for you?"

Rick shakes his head, exasperated. "You know that's not what I meant. I just mean, you're doing all of this because you said you weren't going to- You don't have to. Besides, I know for a fact that the class you have right now is on the other end of the building. You're gonna be late."

Negan finally drops his hand when they get to the door of Rick's next class and he only shrugs his shoulders, "Told you, I only have a few months of school left. I want to enjoy it my way. Stop being such a buzzkill, Grimes."

That earns a slight smile from Rick at the mere ridiculousness of this situation. "Fine, okay. Do your thing, but I'm serious. You're gonna be late for class. Go away," And with that Negan smiles back and takes his good ol' time getting to class.

\---------------

At lunch time Negan keeps his distance and for that he's grateful. Shane is angrily dipping his tater tots in ketchup and Glenn is scooping his pudding with wary eyes, wondering what the tension between the two friends is about but also lightly sidetracked because Maggie is sitting beside him and nudging at him. 

Rick knows that one day he'll have to have a conversation with Glenn about this, see how he truly feels about it all but for the moment he keeps to himself and glances over towards Negan throughout the lunch. He's with Sherry and Dwight but it seems as though they're having a serious conversation. Negan isn't being as.. Loud and obnoxious as usual, instead they're all just sitting and talking. 

"Shane."

"Hm?" 

Shane's mouth is full of tater tots at this point and so he swipes one from the teen's tray and pops it in his mouth, serving to make Shane even angrier with him but it's a win because it gets Shane bitching up a storm and talking again, throwing a tantrum about how his food is his food and not Rick's. He counts it as a win.

The calm lasts even into gym class. The 'changing in different stalls so they didn't have to change in front of Rick' ordeal has stopped now, lost it's charm now that the boys have to wait for people to get done changing in the stalls before they can change as well. It takes up quite a bit of their time. So now they all change together. Negan isn't exactly hiding what they have- Though Rick isn't even sure of it himself. They hadn't talked about it, not really. Ed is still sporting wounds from his fight with Negan and looking much worse for wear than Negan ever did. It's almost quiet, really. Rick changes and can feel Negan staring at him but this time when he looks back at Negan, the older boy only winks at him, eyes alight. It makes his own skin warm and he ignores it as he gets himself back into his normal clothes, ready for the end of class.

\---------------

"C'mon, lets go." 

Negan's beside his locker again and staring at him expectantly. Rick can only frown, "Go where?" 

"Your house, dumb ass."

Rick's eyes widen, "What? No, no way."

"Wait just here a second.. Are you telling me that you still haven't told you parents any of this?" Negan's eyes glint with something that he can't exactly make through but Rick only rolls his eyes. 

"No, I haven't and you're not telling them. At least not yet. " He hedged, settling his backpack on his shoulders. "What did you wanna do anyways? Not like there's exactly a lot of stuff to do at my house."

"I'm sure we'll find something," Negan smirks but it softens and the boy puts a hand on Rick's hips. "I just want to spend some time with you tonight, that against the law or something?" 

The words feel sincere and Rick sighs but a slight twitch of a smile comes to his lips. "Yeah, alright. We can go, just don't complain when you get bored."

"Believe me, Ricky, I won't." 

Rick shoves at his shoulder hard for that. 

\----------------

"Negan."

"Hm?"

"Negan."

A pair of sharp teeth scrape across his neck and Rick moans, "Negan, st-- Stop it, we can't do this here." 

"Do what?" Negan pulls back, an innocent smile on his face but Rick knows better than to believe it. 

"You know exactly what you're doing. What if they walk in on us?"

They're at Rick's house now, lounging in his bed together. Negan is propped up over him and he's busied himself with kissing all over the younger boy's neck, sucking at his collar bone and nipping at his ear. When they'd gotten here Rick's mother had welcomed Negan with open arms, saying that she was 'Glad that Rick finally invited him over again', and calling them both 'such good boys.' He'd sat through a dinner with his parents and Negan where Negan answered every question thrown at him. Even the hard ball question from his father that made the dinner feel like an interview more than anything. After that they'd retired up to Rick's room to watch TV- TV that Rick was very interested in but Negan kept distracting him. 

"We'll just tell them that we were playing a game or something. Like, wrestling. Yeah, wrestling." Negan confirms absently, kissing his way up Rick's neck and back to his lips where they share a kiss that is both parts tender and wanting. 

Rick loses himself for just a moment, fingers twining in Negan's hair but he pulls back with a huff of laughter. "Really, wrestling? That's the best you could come up with? I'm pretty sure when guys wrestle they don't have bulge's in their pants." 

He looks down to see that he indeed has a situation happening in his pants and so does Negan but the older boy only laughs and allows their hips to grind together, causing Rick to squeeze his eyes shut with an ill concealed whimper. 

"Shit, that's hot. You're fucking hot. Fucking gorgeous." Negan babbles and noses at Rick's jaw to get him to tilt it up. "Guess we better get rid of these things, huh?"

Rick scoffs, trying to play the comment off but his body is already tensing and near immediately Negan pulls away. "Hey, hey. It was a joke, okay? We don't need to do that. We'll do that when you're ready. I mean it," The boy promises and Rick stares at him for a moment before nodding his head. 

"Thank you," He murmurs, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. 

"You don't have to thank me for anything," Negan promises, though his softened face goes back to devilish and mischievous in an instant as he slides a hand up Rick's shirt, "Now, let's get back to wrestling." 

Rick laughs and takes a pillow, hitting Negan over the head with it. 

The rest of the night went on like that, alternating between watching TV, or rather pretending to watch TV when they heard footsteps coming close and kissing the rest of the time. All in all, the night was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the unbelievable support that you have all given me! It means so, so much to me! This story will most likely go until roughly 13 chapter or 15 chapters. So, we're nearing the end but there is much more to be seen. Leave a comment letting me know what you think and sorry for the typos!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Plans? With who? Meat head?"

"What are you gonna do after all of this?" 

"After what? Tonight? I'm probably gonna go home, maybe jack off-- " 

Rick's face heats up and he pushes those thoughts very, very far away. "Negan!"

Negan only snorts and wraps his arm tighter around Rick from where they're laying. They're sitting on the Riviera, lounged out over the trunk and reclined against the back window. It's night now and it all feels very much like a high school cliché date, star gazing and laying on a car together. Rick won't admit it but he likes it. Not that they were calling it a date, either. They're something, that's what Negan always says and that's good enough for Rick. He doesn't want to push for answers, not when everything feels so calm. Besides, Negan hasn't shown any reason for Rick to be wary of him or of him being dishonest. He still talks with Dwight and Sherry but there's no longer any arms thrown around her shoulder or messy kisses shown in the hallway. Dwight always looks a bit tense around Negan but it's getting better. Rick still doesn't talk to Dwight and has no intention of doing so. Negan says that they've 'worked things out', though he never shares what those conversations held other than that Dwight won't mess with Rick again and he won't mess with Sherry again and that's that. 

"Sorry, sorry," Negan chuckles out in an unapologetic tone. Silence settles for a moment and Rick stays in his spot, leaned up against the car with his side pressing against Negan's, the older boy's arm thrown across his shoulders. 

'So?" Rick asks, turning his head. 

"So what, Grimes?" It comes with a sigh and Rick can only nudge him, unwilling to let his curiosity go. 

"What're you gonna do after school?"

A groan comes from Negan this time. "I don't know, okay? I'm sure I'll end up doing something really, super cool." He looks up at the moon, "My uncle wants me to go to college so I'll probably do that."

That gets Rick to furrow his brow and think for a moment or two. Sometimes he realizes just how little he knows about Negan. Of course he knows about Lucille, a bit about his past life before he came to their town but other information like 'favorite color' or things like that had just felt trivial since Rick truly feels like he knows Negan now more than those other pointless questions ever would make him feel. "Uncle?" He gently prompts. 

"Yeah. I've been with him for awhile. Most of my life, actually. Strict, but a good guy." He looks at Rick's expression and gestures vaguely with his other hand. "Parents didn't want me when I was younger so he got me instead." Rick opens his mouth to say something but Negan only grins, "Don't worry about, it's no biggie. I got over it, it was a long time ago. Barely remember them anymore."

Still, Rick presses just a bit close. "No biggie," He mimics in disbelief. "You're insane sometimes, you know that?"

The other boy smiles and shrugs, "Better to just be an asshole than a depressed asshole, right? Besides, my life's good. I've got some decent friends, I kick ass at baseball and I've got a blue eyed boy on my arm." He waggles his brow, looking suggestively at Rick.

Rick could kiss him for that, so he does. After he first cringed and snorted, of course.

\---------------

It's roughly a week later and things are semi settled. His parents are still unaware of their relationship and Rick wants to tell them both, he does. He wants to be truthful and straight forward with his parents but what is he supposed to say? 'Hi mom and dad, this is Negan who I make out with in bed when you both think we're just watching TV. We haven't said any labels yet so I don't know what we are but I'm 100% sure that I like both girls and boys now.' It's daunting and Rick hadn't ever really needed labels before and he won't start begging for them now. Despite everything a part of him is wary to ask for that. And so he doesn't. There are a few bumps along the road when people in school see them sitting too close or they're spotted giving a kiss at Rick's car or Negan's. Those are the times when muttered slurs are heard and Rick always has to hold tight to Negan's arm with a shake of his head, silently saying that it's not worth it. They still get stares. It's part of the territory with being the first public gay couple in the school but it's not so much anymore.

Eventually things calm down. Things roll along quite smoothly, more smoothly than he ever expected. Of course Shane and Negan were still learning to get along with each other. It'd taken Rick 'laying down the law' to fix it. Or at least that's how Negan described it. 

"Can you not do that?" Shane had asked, narrowing his eyes at Negan at the end of the day. They were at Rick's locker, Shane on one side and Negan on the other side of him. 

"Do what?" Negan had cocked his head to the side so innocently, a broad grin on his face. 

"That thing. That you're doing with your hand." It'd come out of gritted teeth and Rick shot a look towards Shane, completely exasperated at this point. Not to mention that he'd seen Shane make out with girls before, hands under clothes and tongues in mouths and Negan had came up to him and had leaned against the locker next to his, his free hand smoothing down Rick's back. 

Negan laughed, "What? I can't touch him around you? I didn't realize that you had full touching claim over Rick since you're his best friend. My bad, my fucking bad. Can I apologize?" And with that Negan's hand slid a little lower and to the side, resting low on Rick's hip.

"Could at least try not to blind me- It's fucking disgusting." 

Of course Shane didn't have a problem with Rick liking guys. It was the guy that he liked. 

"I'm disgusting? Walsh, I can show you disgusting." Negan grinned filthily and moved a bit closer to Rick who was really just trying to get his books out of his locker. Shane opened his mouth and Rick cut them both off. 

"Jesus Christ, would you both quit?" Rick huffed, shaking off Negan. "You both need to stop baiting each other. No! Let me talk, I'm not done yet." He exclaimed when they both opened their mouths again. "I mean it. If you two keep carrying on like this I'm going to stop being seen with either of you and I'll start crashing in on Glenn and Maggie's dates instead." With that Rick had stuffed his last book into his bag before shouldering it and walking off. Negan stared after for a moment or two before catching up in long strides, quick to intertwine their fingers together while Shane stayed against the lockers. 

"Still gross," Was called out after him and Rick turned back to look at Shane who was scowling but it was softer now, much softer and his friend quickly turned the other way and walked off. 

It was progress, that's what Rick called it. They'd learned to be civil to one another and so the teen held tight to that.

\---------------

Graduation is coming towards them fast. Negan says that he doesn't care, that he'd eager to leave but his eyes say something different. His near desperate attitude to soak everything up says different. 

"You're coming to my game tonight, right?"

Rick shakes his head as he loads up his things into his car, "I can't, I told you that already. I have plans."

"Plans? With who? Meat head?"

A muffled snort comes from Rick as he shakes his head, ever amused by the other boy's antics. "Stop calling him that, maybe that's why he hates you so much. And no, I'm going to hang out with Glenn."

That gets Negan to narrow his eyes, "Glenn. You mean the Korean pipsqueak?" It's been no secret that Glenn had been one of the boys that Negan and his friends had picked on a few times but since they'd gotten together things had slowed. However Rick still feels that urge, that need to make sure that his friends are okay. 

"Glenn as in Glenn, one of my close friends. The one that you've tormented in the past," Rick pointed out.

That gets Negan to roll his eyes, "I'm not apologizing if that's what you're getting at. That was before us, it doesn't count." It comes with a dramatic groan and Negan stands at his full height instead of leaning against the car. "I haven't touched him since, haven't done anything to that kid." 

With a sigh Rick nodded, straightening up as well from where he'd been shoving his book bag into his car though it doesn't bring him up to Negan's height. "I know that but I still have to go see him tonight." Negan's frowning now, more so than before and he can't help but sigh again at the older boy. "I'll go to the next one, okay? I promise." And with that Rick lets his hand come out, two fingers curling in Negan's belt loops to tug carefully.

The other cocks a brow and smirks, "Look at you, being all forward and confident with me. Didn't think you had it in you." Negan moves closer, "I like," Is all that he says before swooping in for a kiss. 

It lingers and has Rick pressing up for more before he reminds himself that they are very much still on school property. "Next time," He mumbles against the lips, giving one last peck and a half of a smile before getting back into his car. 

\---------------

Rick goes to see Glenn at the pizza shop that he works at. He's on a break when he arrives and his friends eyes lightly brighten, nodding and waving Rick to come where he's seated. 

"I didn't know you were coming in here today," Glenn commented, looking slightly wary. 

The other boy is quick to diminish that. "It wasn't really planned, not really. I just came in to talk." Then, he smiles. "And for a slice of pizza." That gets Glenn to roll his eyes with a smile too.

By the end of the conversation the elephant in the room has been addressed.

"I kind of figured," Glenn shrugged, playing with the sugar packets on the table. 

Rick nodded his head, shifting slightly in his seat. "I didn't know how to really go about it, telling you. Besides, you've been pretty caught up with Maggie." 

That gets a lightly pink tinge to lay on Glenn's cheeks and the boy grins a bit sheepishly. "Guess we've both been busy, huh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, so this one was a bit harder to crank out than usual since I'm working on planning the ending out right but I hope you all still liked it! Your support has been amazing and every new comment and kudos absolutely brightens my day! 
> 
> Also, I have it mostly figured out that there will only be either one or two more chapters. I have something planned but it depends on it I think it's too long or whatnot. Either way, the end is near! *sob* 
> 
> Sorry for any typos as well, leave a kudos or a comment if ya liked it- Thanks! :)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know he's not perfect.. But,"

Watching Negan take the stage as his name is announced over the microphone on graduation day is odd to watch. 

Rick's smiling. It's soft, but there as he watches the other. Negan is strutting up like usual, grinning and snatching up his certificate as his friends hoot and holler in the crowd. Rick can spy the man that Negan pointed out before as his uncle during one of his baseball games. He's tall just like Negan and has the same dark hair but he has a bit more meat on his bones and he doesn't think that he can recall ever seeing the man smile. Except now Negan's uncle is watching with a twitch of the lips on his face as his nephew walks across the stage. 

Rick is sitting with Sherry surprisingly enough. Rick still doesn't talk to Dwight nor does Sherry ever bring up the incident in the locker room but he thinks that maybe it's better this way. They all want to forget some things in life, he supposes. 

Rick's own friends aren't anywhere to be seen since Shane has 'boycotted' the graduation and Glenn has no reason to come since the only people he associates with are Rick, Shane and Maggie and so he sits with Sherry. They enjoy a quiet companionship and when Dwight's name gets called Sherry is smiling wide, wider than he thinks he's ever seen her before. 

"I know he's not perfect.. But," Sherry smiles, and that explains everything else that Rick would need to know. Rick doesn't think that he'll ever be able to see Dwight without being uncomfortable, without expecting fists to follow but he thinks he understands a bit more now. 

Negans looks up into the crowd and Rick can't be sure if Negan's really looking at him but he doesn't care, he lets his smile stretch out even wider before the older boy sits back down to his seat. In the fall Negan will go off to college on a baseball scholarship. Rick kept his word and had gone to the baseball games. Nearly every single one that he could and he'd truly seen how good Negan was at the sport. It was horrible since Negan was such a cocky asshole but it fit because he was just that good at the sport. Most days Rick was proud of the other for getting such a deal into a good school but on others it made him quiet, thinking about how things would turn out with Negan always being an hour away. The thoughts strained him but Rick pushed them away, standing up and clapping his hands along with the crowd when all the names were read. 

\---------------

Afterwards the school is a mess. 

All crying parents and laughing, giddy students. Or ex students, he supposes. Everyone is taking pictures and Rick frowns, just trying to find Negan through the crowd and mess of it all. 

"Found you. I could spot that signature glare anywhere." 

Rick turns, eyes bright with a half smile on his face. Negan's standing there in his cap and gown, grinning at him. "C'mere, Grimes. I'm not here to chit chat, I just graduated. I'm an important man now." 

The younger boy rolled his eyes but didn't fight it as he was tugged into a pair of arms and a lean chest. The cap bumped into his own forehead and Rick snorted out a laugh but didn't mind it as their lips finally met in a kiss, his own hands having came around to hold onto Negan's shoulders. That's when they heard a throat clear. Rick jumped back, cheeks already staining with color. Negan only huffed out, looking to the culprit to find out that it was the others uncle. The man had a blank face, eyes narrowing slightly at Rick. 

"Who's this?" Came a grunt.

Negan seemed a bit more tense than usual. Not out of fear but out of a sense of a child being around a strict parent. "Does it matter?" Negan asked, cocking his brow. 

The uncle only sighed like he was used to this and nods his head, "You and I both know it does." 

The two family members stared at each other for a moment almost in a silent conversation, a silent bet of some sort. Negan looked positively gleeful after a moment, a grin sliding across his face as he hooked an arm around Rick's shoulders. Rick stood there looking fairly confused and with his jaw clenched and his brow drawn. 

"This is Rick Grimes and I am dating the shit out him." 

Rick's mouth dropped, gaping at Negan with wide eyes. 

The uncle was silent for a long moment or two but nods his head, that same twitchy lip smile coming to his face. "I suppose you are."

\---------------

"Dating, huh?" 

They're at Negan's car. The parking lot is nearly empty and Rick's crowded back onto the hood, sitting there with Negan standing between his legs. Negan only hums out distracted noises, too busy trying to suck at the skin of Rick's neck. Rick huffed and squirmed slightly, pushing at Negan's chest. 

"Negan," He tried, a smile evident in his voice. The older boy only sucked harder at his neck, forcing a moan from Rick that morphed into an amused huff, pushing the other away with a near grin on his face. 

"Sorry, sorry," Negan apologize with a smile, his hands planted on either side of Rick on the car. "I'm all.. Amped up. And I was hoping that you'd join me tonight. For a party. A sort of kick off for the summer for a fresh start."

Rick rolled his eyes, "Oh, and people get fresh starts by getting drunk?" His tone is fond and he even can't bother to correct it. 

The other nods his head, "Of course it is, haven't you been to a party before?" He mocked and then turned softer. "Besides, it can be our first official date. Since we're dating and going steady now," The last part is a mixture of teasing and sincerity and Rick shook his head with an amused huff. 

"Shitty beer and vomiting. What kind of date is that?" 

"It's the one's that I'm gonna be taking you on, Grimes, so you better get used to it." 

"It think I can deal with it. At least for tonight." 

And Rick decides then not to question their future because right now they have this, and this is enough. This is more than enough, more than he ever thought that he'd ever have. Surprisingly gentle hands cup his cheeks and guide him into a kiss and he can only hold on, wanting to savor the kiss much like he'll be doing with their summer. Rick Grimes doesn't care how his Junior year started. He doesn't care at all and that was simply for the fact that it ended like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh My God guys, only one more chapter to go! *Sobs* It'll be a meaty epilogue, I promise. Hope you enjoyed it, leave a comment letting me know what you thought or a kudos if you liked it. Thanks again! :)


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, sexual scene ahead! Though it's not very graphic.

The night before Negan left for college they were curled up in heap together on Negan's bed. His uncle was out for the night and against his guardians words, he'd invited Rick over. Rick's parents had long ago found about their relationship too and after a very, very long talk about safety and waiting until marriage that left Rick blushing and Negan grinning, they were permitted to spend time up in his room again. With the door open, of course. The parents had learned their lesson the first time when they'd walked in on the two curled up together and kissing in his bed. But Rick's parents were home that night and so they'd gone to Negan's home, eating, watching movies and eventually laying down together.

That was the night that Rick lost his virginity. 

It started out innocently enough, Rick straddling Negan in the bed and kissing him, tongues lazily thrusting inside, sucking idly at bottom lips. Hands were wandering up his shirt, broad and smoothing up his skin. Rick's hands were propped up on Negan's chest but one was soon moving up to tangle in his hair. Rick found himself lost in the moment, lost in the feeling of Negan's hands all over his skin and the scent of the other boy that he didn't realize it when his hips started grinding down. He moaned quietly at the sensation, feeling the hard length below him. Negan groaned, tugging Rick closer as he thrust up, their clothed cocks making contact. 

"Rick," He breathed out against the younger boys lips. Fingers tugged at his shirt, "Off," Negan spoke in an ordering tone that made Rick want to positively squirm. 

They'd gotten this far before, grinding against each other and making out but they'd never gone further. Rick always froze up before they could get too far but tonight was different. Part of Rick's mind told him to stop, that this was an impulsive decision just because Negan was going away but that brought his thoughts to that exact thing. Negan leaving. He wouldn't admit it, but it scared him. He wanted to share this, wanted to have the chance of this before he lost it. Wanted to be close to Negan, wanted to know what it felt like to be cared for in that way, wanted to be able to give Negan that part of himself. 

The curly haired teen pulled back, tugging his shirt off and over his head and let it land somewhere on the ground, cheeks tinted a pink color from exertion and possibly the stare that Negan was sending him. 

Negan laid back and looked, grinning. "Christ, Grimes." A tanned hand smoothed up against the pale skin, fingers pushing over one nipple. It elicited a breathy sigh from Rick, heart thumping fast. "Let's switch this around, yeah?" 

And before Rick could say anything to the statement he found himself on his back with a very eager Negan laying between his thighs. Rick grinned but he couldn't help the nerves that he felt and they must have showed because Negan paused from where he'd been currently tugging off his own shirt. 

"Hey," He spoke softly, pressing forward till their faces were close. "We don't have to do anything, you know that. We'll have plenty time for it later. I'll have my very own dorm," He grinned suggestively and Rick rolled his eyes. 

"We are not going to be one of those people. You know, the ones that fuck and pretend like your roommate either isn't there or sleeping." 

Negan frowned, close to a pout. "You take the fun out of everything." 

"Public indecency, Negan. You're ridiculous." 

"You've called me that too many times, it's lost it's effect on me." 

"I'll just have to find something else, then." 

Negan goes to fire something back but Rick captures the older one's lips with his own, eyes falling shut again before murmuring against the lips a moment later. "I want this. Maybe not.. Everything, not right now. But I want this, you. C'mon," He tugged impatiently at Negan's t-shirt and suddenly the other boy had a dark, wanting look in his eyes and he sat back, tugging it over his back before falling back over Rick to continue on with their kissing. 

It's not long before they're both only in their boxers, grinding against one another, starved for friction. 

Rick eventually falls over the edge with Negan's hand on his cock, stroking fast and murmuring things into Rick's ear. "Fuck, you're so good. So good for me," Rick whimpered, hips snapping into the grip. "C'mon, Rick. Show me, show me how much you-- " Rick lost it, eyes shut with his head fallen back, his release painting Negan's hand and his own stomach. 

That's also the night that Rick gives Negan a blow job. It's awkward and his teeth bump in places that they shouldn't a few times but eventually he gets the gist of it and Negan's coming down his throat with a shout and a hand holding tight onto his curly locks. 

Afterwards they laid together, pulling shorts back on but nothing else. Negan's got his arms around Rick, pulling him close. "Stay with me tonight. Please?" 

Rick wants to say yes so badly, doesn't want to leave the cocoon that they've made for themselves. "What about your uncle?" He asked, nudging his leg forward until their legs are intertwined in a mess of limbs. 

"Fuck him," Negan huffed out, head against the pillow before dipping down to press their lips together. "You're eighteen now. Just- Please?" 

Eventually those eyes break Rick down and he nods. "Yeah, I'll stay." They kiss again, sated and comfortable, not wanting to let one another go in the slightest. Rick only hears Negan speaking again when his eyes are already closed and he's half way asleep. The words are soft spoken and almost timid, but completely sincere. 

"Thank you."

\---------------

It wasn't easy. It never was. Long distance relationships rarely survived, especially when one of those people was an hour and a half away and in a college filled with new people, starting a new chapter of their life. But somehow they prevailed. They fought, a lot. It was mostly over stupid things. Rick not being able to come to Negan's games, Negan overreacting to incidents, doubt and fear rearing their ugly heads and making them say harsh words that they didn't mean. 

"Why don't you just fuck him then, huh? You two seem cozy enough, talking to him all the damn time." 

Rick couldn't control his eye roll but he supposed it didn't matter either way since they were only talking on the phone. "Would you quit it? I thought we were already over this."

"Yeah, I thought we were too but hot damn, look at that. You're still mentioning him in every conversation that we have- Which aren't a lot, let me remind you of that."

Rick can only pinch at the bridge of his nose, "I'm really, really not in the mood for this right now. You should know by now that Daryl's my friend, just my friend. I can have those, can't I?" He bitterly spat out, becoming more frustrated with the conversation. 

"I don't give a shit if you have friends, but him? Really? It's like he's always up your ass and following you around like a puppy."

"He's not up my ass. He's going through a rough time and I'm helping him. He's a nice guy and you would know that if you ever bothered to meet him when you came down here."

"Excuse me for not wanting to get to know the guy who stays over at your house every weekend."

Rick gets up, pacing in his room now. "It's not every weekend and I told you that he's a friend. If he needs somewhere to stay then I'm not going to turn him away. We're just watching TV."

He hears a scoff from the other line. "Just watching TV. That's how we started up in that room, remember?"

Rick can't take it anymore and ends the call, tossing the phone off towards the bed and leaves it in his room when he goes for his shower. 

Daryl and he had become closer this year. He's the new addition to their table. Shane, Daryl, Glenn and most times Maggie. Daryl doesn't talk much, ever the silent one that observes more than he speaks but when he has something important to say, he says it. He's still wild like an alley cat and still shows up with bruises painted against his skin but he's finally been taking the offer up from Rick to stay with him whenever he needed to. They're friends, have become very close friends but nothing more. He cares about Daryl as if he's his own brother, in a Shane- Like way and he doesn't feel like explaining that to Negan for the hundredth time and so for the rest of the night he goes without his phone.

They don't contact each other for days. Not until Negan finally texts him a message that says 'I'm sorry.' 

That weekend Rick goes up to Negan's college and they talk things out. He's half afraid that he'll walk out and things will be ended but all that happens is a conversation. A very long discussion about their recent fights and putting worries to rest. They say good bye with a kiss and that's that.

\---------------

After their big fight things seem to get better. Life goes on. Of course there are some days when Negan is downright volatile and angry at the world for what it's done. Rick has his bad days too. He still doesn't like going into the lockers rooms much anymore but he gets through school without any other major incidents. Life speeds up and Rick can't find a way to slow it all down. He wants to savor this, hold onto it dearly. 

He's walking the halls with Shane by his side, strolling the empty school. It's after hours and their graduation is tomorrow. "You think we'll miss this place?" Rick asks as they go along. 

Shane shrugs, "I dunno. Guess it's gonna be harder to get laid. Won't have as many easy options," His friend deflects the question easily and Rick gives a small laugh.

"Never change, Shane." He murmurs to himself, shaking his head in a fond way. 

Eventually Shane speaks up again, "Think I will." His tone is a bit more serious and Rick nods his head as well but he bumps shoulders with his brother. 

"We'll be alright, though." 

They have plans to go off to the academy together after college. They've always stuck together, it makes sense to keep going with it. Shane nods and they fall into silence for a moment or two, kicking at stray papers in the hall as they go. 

"Negan coming to the gradutation?" He asks, looking over with a cocked brow. Rick nods his head and smiles when he hears Shane again, "Prick." 

"Guess I can't boycott this graduation, can I?" 

Rick shakes his head, grinning. "I wouldn't advise it, no."

\---------------

"I need to start figuring out what I want to do with my life." Negan says this one day out of the blue. It's summer and they're riding through the town in the Riviera, windows down despite the sweltering hot temperature. 

"Oh?" Rick commented, looking over. 

"Yeah." And then silence for awhile, just the hum of the car as they drove. "I want it to involve sports but I know I'm not getting into the pros.. But I've been thinking. What about teaching it?"

Rick's brow goes way up now, surprised. A hint of a smile plays at his lips. "Coach Negan." He tests it out, nodding his head. "It kind'a has a ring to it."

A slow grin spreads across Negan's face and he nods. "Fuck yeah it does."

\---------------

"I like it," Negan decides, nodding his head. 

Rick gapes, staring at it. "Negan, it's a dump."

"It has character."

"It has a rat infestation is what it has."

Negan grins, "Okay, now you're exaggerating. The people said it's clean. Doesn't have bugs or anything it's just.. It needs some work. Some tender love and care," The young man waggles his brow. "I'm sure you can muster some of that up, right?"

Rick scoffs, "For you, maybe. Not this place." 

They're staring at a house. They're back in their small town. Negan's already graduated and working at the local school as a gym teacher and a baseball coach while Rick is gearing up for his own college graduation. Ready to head off into the academy and get his credentials with Shane so they'll both be qualified and hopefully be able to find jobs here in their home town. While Rick is still in a dorm room- Though not for long, Negan's in an apartment. They've both decided that they want to move in together after everything's settled. 

The house is a two story and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's even got a nice back yard. But, they're selling it for cheap. The reasoning for that must be the crumbling porch, the overgrown back yard, the leaking problems that the ceiling has in some places, the cracking paint and wood boards that are falling apart. 

Rick walks up closer to the grey house and leans against the railing, feeling it wiggle and sway under his partial weight. "Huh," He mutters to himself. He thinks for a moment or two, looking everything over. The investment won't hit them too hard. They've both been working through college and Negan had gotten a huge scholarship for playing baseball and Rick hadn't paid for much either, always the stellar student. They were lucky. However it's still a house. It's still.. Big. It'll still cost money. Money that they don't have. But Negan's looking at it like it's his baby, like it's something to be cherished. He weighs it over in his head, thinking about Negan's paychecks that're now steadily coming in, how Rick has a part time job at the college and how he'll have other paychecks coming in once he's hopefully hired at the station in town. And the good thing about the house is that they can wait, wait until they have enough saved to buy it because this house isn't coming off the market anytime soon. Not with the way it looks. 

He bites his lips, furrowing his brow. Rick can see what this place can be. It has potential but it's daunting. It'd be a project. A huge one. 

"It's gonna be a lot of work, " Rick finally says in acceptance. 

Negan lets out a puff of air and grins. "That's what I was hoping for." He comes up to Rick and intertwines their hands together. "C'mon, let me show you the inside."

\---------------

The first year in the house is one that will be engrained in Rick's memory forever. 

They don't have a frame for the mattress and so it simply lays on the ground. They have simple appliances like a fridge, microwave, sink, things like that but nothing above it. They have the bare minimum he supposes, but it's not all that bad. They've worked on getting the most important things done first. Fixing the windows and the porch. The porch isn't quite done yet but Rick slaves away at it on the weekends since Negan can't seem to do anything that involves a hammer and a nail or hard work. He likes to sit and watch Rick instead, lazing about and offering him a cup of lemonade every now and then, enjoying the sight of a sweaty Rick. 

The roof had been the thing that almost put them under. It cost a lot to fix all the leaks but eventually they had it done. They both saved their money religiously, put away extra from their paychecks and into a fund with hopes of spending it later once they've built up enough of it. 

That first year is special. It's going to sleep and waking up with Negan still wrapped around him, sometimes rocking gently against him and coaxing him awake with kisses and on some mornings Negan comes into the room with a cup of coffee for Rick, a self satisfied look on his face whenever Rick groans at the taste, thanking the other. They exchange 'I love you's' before they go to work in the morning and they still have to be careful on that porch but it'll work eventually. Rick just knows it.

\---------------

"Holy shit." 

"I know," Rick grins, staring at the house. "I told you we fixed it up." 

Shane is standing beside him, nodding with wide eyes. "Only took you two, nearly three years but it's looking nice. I'll give you that." He claps his partner on the back and goes off towards the front, climbing up the firm and newly painted porch to get into the house. "Where's that son of a bitch that you call a boyfriend? Have a bone to pick with him." 

Rick huffed out a breath of amusement, "He's out back with everyone else." 

He's not worried when Shane disappears into the house quickly. Shane and Negan don't hate each other. Not anymore. They certainly aren't professing their love to one another but there's a mutual respect that runs through them and allows them to banter and tease at one another, rough housing like two close friends might do.

They've thrown a barbecue. 

They haven't allowed many people back to the house because of the state that it was in but things are different now. They've gotten more furniture as the years had gone by and the house is nearly fully furnished. It seems like a home. The paint job looks good and the yard even has flowers in it- Negan still teases him about those but he doesn't mind because in his opinion it makes the place look better. Besides, he's always been the one out of the pair more inclined towards yard work. Now, they have all of their friends there. Family, too. Rick walks into the home and out towards their back yard, met with the scent of hot dogs cooking on the grill and the sound of chatter. 

Glenn and Maggie are expecting their first child- Not intended, from what he hears but he knows that it'll only make the couple stronger. Daryl's at a table with Beth. Thankfully Negan's 'beef' with Daryl has long ago gone away, too. The Dixon looks a bit uncomfortable with the attention but the blonde doesn't seem to notice. She just chatters on with a smile, wearing a sundress and talking avidly to him as Daryl grunts out a few words with occasionally pink cheeks. His neighbor Carol is there too, a strong woman even though she seems a bit meek to the outside eye. Her daughter is by her side as well, the two chatting quietly together and soon conversing with Rick's parents. There's others, a whole lot of people mingling together. 

He can spot Negan at the grill, flipping hot dogs with Shane beside him, berating him on his technique. "That's not how you're supposed to do it, man. You're gonna fuck it up- Just scoot on over and let me take over."

"Fuck that, Walsh. Maybe if you'd stop acting like a whiny baby I could actually focus on them." 

"Like hell you were focusing, you were staring at Rick's ass before me an' him walked out to the front." 

"Can't blame me, can you?" Shane rolls his eyes with a disgusted look on his face and the two go on with their bickering.

Negan's uncle isn't there, gave an excuse about being busy but Negan didn't seem to care much. "It's just the way he is. I know he cares," The older one had said with a simple nod of his head.

The night goes by and after a long while they're left with a messy yard again. 

Rick looks contently out over the empty yard that's filled with empty chairs and he sits on the steps, a beer in his hand. Eventually he hears the door opening and Negan sits himself down right beside Rick. 

"What do you think, Grimes? Was it a success?" 

Rick smiled, turning towards the other. He looks over Negan, the stubble that still covers his face. The lean body that has tattoos covering some of the areas now. His heart feels like it might burst and he just looks, smiling. "Something wrong?" Negan asks, eyes narrowed and Rick just shakes his head. 

"No, not a damn thing." 

With that Rick put his beer down and leaned in for a kiss, eyes closing as he savored the familiarity in it, one hand clutching onto the front of the other mans shirt. Life, he thought to himself, was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you have it. The end. Thank you so much for everything. You guys have been so kind with your continuous comments, this has started so many great conversations for me and I would like to say thank you all for everything! :) Comment and let me know what you thought of the epilogue, thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if I'll continue or not, I hope too. Leave a comment and tell me what ya think! I promise it'll get fluffier and better. Anyways, yeah. Hope you enjoyed it! Oh, also, sorry if there's any typos. I gauraentee there'll will be a handful


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